Like other Indian criminals the Badhaks were of a very religious
or superstitious disposition. They considered the gods of the Hindu
creed as favouring their undertakings so long as they were suitably
propitiated by offering to their temples and priests, and the spirits
of the most distinguished of their ancestors as exercising a vicarious
authority under these deities in guiding them to their prey and warning
them of danger. [59] The following is an account of a Badhak sacrifice
given to Colonel Sleeman by the Ajit Singh already mentioned. It was
in celebration of a dacoity in which they had obtained Rs. 40,000,
out of which Rs. 4500 were set aside for sacrifices to the gods and
charity to the poor. Ajit Singh said: "For offerings to the gods we
purchase goats, sweet cakes and spirits; and having prepared a feast
we throw a handful of the savoury food upon the fire in the name of
the gods who have most assisted us; but of the feast so consecrated
no female but a virgin can partake. The offering is made through the
man who has successfully invoked the god on that particular occasion;
and, as my god had guided us this time, I was employed to prepare the
feast for him and to throw the offering upon the fire. The offering
must be taken up before the feast is touched and put upon the fire,
and a little water must be sprinkled on it. The savoury smell of the
food as it burns reaches the nostrils of the god and delights him. On
this as on most occasions I invoked the spirit of Ganga Singh, my
grandfather, and to him I made the offering. I considered him to be
the greatest of all my ancestors as a robber, and him I invoked on this
solemn occasion. He never failed me when I invoked him, and I had the
greatest confidence in his aid. The spirits of our ancestors can easily
see whether we shall succeed in what we are about to undertake; and
when we are to succeed they order us on, and when we are not they make
signs to us to desist." Their mode [60] of ascertaining which of their
ancestors interested himself most in their affairs was commonly this,
that whenever a person talked incoherently in a fever or an epileptic
fit, the spirit of one or other of his ancestors was supposed to be
upon him. If they were in doubt as to whose spirit it was, one of them
threw down some grains of wheat or coloured glass beads, a pinch at
a time, saying the name of the ancestor he supposed the most likely
to be at work and calling odd or even as he pleased. If the number
proved to be as he called it several times running while that name
was repeated, they felt secure of their family god, and proceeded at
once to sacrifice a goat or something else in his name. When they were
being hunted down and arrested by Colonel Sleeman and his assistants,
they ascribed their misfortunes to the anger of the goddess Kali,
because they had infringed her rules and disregarded her signs, and
said that their forefathers had often told them they would one day
be punished for their disobedience. [61]