136 A COURT-MARTIAL. 



ceded me, proclaiming at the top of his voice, and occasionally beating a 

 tom-tom to insure attention, the awful pains and penalties to which 

 deserters would render themselves liable. This kept the men in check 

 to a great extent, though when we had been out about fifteen days, ten 

 bold spirits ran away. I determined my words should not be unfulfilled, 

 and immediately promised ten active mahouts five rupees each if they 

 succeeded in catching any of them. The runaways had a start of twelve 

 hours, and were not likely to loiter by the way, but the pursuers followed 

 without rest for a day and night, traversing the dense jungles with torches, 

 and succeeded in catching eight of them just at the outskirts of the jungle. 

 These they brought back pinioned, and with leading-ropes round their necks. 

 I held an imposing torch-light court-martial upon them when they' arrived. 

 The jemadar strongly urged the advisability of hanging them there and 

 then, and cast his eye about for a likely overhanging bough to which to 

 suspend them "in a row" as he said. I believe they really thought I 

 should act upon his recommendation ; but after much consideration I allowed 

 mercy to prevail, and gave them a severe punishment instead of the capital 

 one ! This much reduced the inclination to make off, and the few others 

 who did decamp before the end of the expedition were brought from their 

 distant homes by the police to Eungamuttea, where the political officer 

 gave them two months' imprisonment with hard labour for stealing the 

 Government provisions which they had taken with them, and which formed 

 the only ground upon which they could be criminally convicted. Almost 

 all the kheddah men were rascals of various degrees, as it was only this class 

 who cared to take such dangerous and irregular employment ; and though 

 I thought none the worse of them for their antecedents, as they did their 

 duty manfully, strict discipline was necessary to prevent their evil pro- 

 clivities from interfering with the success of our work. 



