Good people in England will of course be startled at the idea of such a custom ever having prevailed among even "nominal Christians;" in blissful ignorance of the fact that our own ancestors acted in very similar fashion when they were at a similar stage of development. Human nature is much the same all the world over; and we believe that the practice of killing off the old people (useless mouths to fill) did not die out in Christian Sweden till the fifteenth century. The "family clubs" used for dispatching them were usually kept in the churches![140] NOTE. One of the quaintest of the stories told at the expense of these "Men of Gotham" was related to the writer by Mar Shimun, who is a singularly good raconteur. It befell once in the time of summer that the sun was hidden by clouds. This is so unusual a phenomenon in that favoured land that the men of Tyari held a solemn meeting to discuss what could be done in the matter; and decided that the day-star had probably got entangled in a cave on the lip of their tremendous gorge, and that if it was not disentangled at once disastrous consequences would follow. A deputation went up accordingly to do their best; and the first man to reach the cave mouth at once stooped and looked into the darkness, where he saw two luminous orbs. "It's all right," he said to his friends; "here is the sun and the moon, too. I will crawl in and let them loose." In he crawled accordingly; but found that unluckily for him the lights were the eyes of a leopard, and it, skilful animal, took off his head with one snap. As he did not come out again, or answer to questions, his companions pulled him out by the heels--when, behold, he had no head on. "Dear, dear," said the leader, "this is very odd. Tell me, some of you, had Yukhanan his head with him when we came up, or did he leave it in the house?" No man was quite sure on that point, so all went down to ask his wife. "O Sinji, wife of Yukhanan, say now. Did your man leave his head down here when we went up the hill this morning, for we cannot find it now?" Sinji searched in the house, but presently came out with the news: "It is not here, anyhow." "Ah, well," said the leader, "he must have dropped it on the way up. The boys will find it and bring it down when they drive home the goats at sunset." CHAPTER XV INTRUDERS IN A PANDEMONIUM (AMADIA AND BOHTAN)