52 HOTE Singh's barbarity. 



Mooktyar Kar, Hote Singh's barbarity in return- 

 ing* one morning from my ride. In the main 

 street of Khyrpoor my horsekeeper said, '' Look, 

 Sahib, there is a man hanging." I did look, and 

 such was the fact, for there was a respectable- 

 looking Hindoo suspended by one leg, on which 

 the entire weight of his body rested, with the 

 head downwards, and in this painful position he 

 was kept by three or four of the Meer's Rohillas. 

 Three other men, I was told, were to be similar- 

 ly treated unless they consented to pay up. On 

 inquiry I found that these persons were public 

 contractors, who professed inability to pay the 

 full amount of the revenue, in consequence of a 

 large portion of the grain having been destroyed 

 by wild hogs, and that flogging would be re- 

 sorted to unless they agreed to fulfil their engage- 

 ment. The sight, I confess, filled me with dis- 

 gust, though I remarked that the bazaar people 

 seemed to think very little of it ; and in a short 

 time I heard that the courage of the defaulters 

 had failed, and that they had given security for 

 the amount claimed, viz. rupees twenty thou- 

 sand. 



The police in the Khyrpoor territory Is 

 generally very efficient; that of the city is 



