330 THE LAST HUNT 



met him. The murderer cut off the top-knot of one and 

 the ears of the other, because they belonged to that village. 

 In this way he killed three persons, wounded seven, and 

 destroyed twenty-one sheep. Probably many more people 

 were murdered, as his friends were said to have thrown 

 some bodies into the river. These were probably pilgrims, 

 strangers about whom nobody asked questions. The day 

 after these murders a doctor sahib arrived, and he persuaded 

 the murderer to go down to Tiri and report in person 

 what a line thing he had done. He went, was taken 

 prisoner and put in chains. The police officer called the 

 murderer an " Isai," or Christian, By further questioning 

 I discovered that this term was applied to him because he 

 was neither a saliib nor a good Hindu. He was said 

 to be the son of a Dom (a low-caste man), and report had 

 it that the mother had shared her money with the latter. 

 From what the official told me, it was clear that the 

 murderer had borne a bad character for many years, and, 

 no doubt, had been going from bad to worse till this 

 culminating point in his career. I may add that he was 

 sentenced to five years' imprisonment and a fine of 20,000 

 rupees. He had the honour of being tenderly inquired 

 after in Parliament. 



I may close my narrative here. I reached Mussoorie 

 on the 21st July, where I enjoyed a well-earned rest before 

 going back to harness in the plains. 



PRINTED BV MOBBISON AXD GIBB LIMITED, EDINBURGH 



