set fire to their houses. While the Mussulmans busied themselves in saving their lives, the Children plundered their possessions and distributed them among their followers. When the rustics were gratified with a share of the booty, they were taken to the temple of Vishnu and initiated there as Children with the touch of the idol's feet. People found that the Children's mission was a lucrative business. Besides, they were intensely dis- affected with the anarchy and misrule of Mussulman domination. Many people were really anxious to revive Hinduism on seeing that it was gradually sinking. So the ranks of the Children daily swelled. Hundreds came every day and thousands every month and, bowing to the feet of Jivananda and Bhavananda, went out in companies to different quarters to punish the Mussul- mans. Where they found officials they beat them, and sometimes even killed them ; where they found public money they plundered it ; and where they found a Mussulman habitation they burnt it down to ashes. The local officials then began to send out large detachments of the army. But now the Children were a compact body, well armed and proud of their strength. The Mussulmans could not approach them for their prowess. When they did, the puissant Children fell on them, worked havoc in their ranks and cried " Iiari, Hari." If ever a Mussulman detach- ment defeated the Children, another body of Children would forthwith turn up and cut off the heads of the erstwhile victors and go away shouting " Plan",
