204 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



from their employer. The Korku is by no means a born 

 hunter or tracker. In addition, he has become exceedingly 

 lazy, since, paradoxically enough, famine has brought him 

 plenty ! But he is the only man to be had locally, and 

 now and then does a useful piece of work when the 

 spirit moves him. All the hill - folk within reach of 

 Junglypur know that their reward is certain if they 

 happen to mark a beast home, and will only sit and watch 

 it while one of their number fetches the sahib. Even this 

 knowledge, and the fact that some neighbour has just 

 made an easy fortune in such a manner, will not, however, 

 of a necessity tempt them to do likewise when the chance 

 offers. Laziness, pure and unalloyed, is the only reason 

 one can adduce to account for such apathy. Yet they 

 will labour hard enough to collect and carry, for a similar 

 distance, to the cantonment bazaar, a bundle of firewood 

 weighing half a hundredweight and worth a few annas. 



These Korkus are a branch of the aboriginal tribes of 

 prehistoric India, and are of Kolarian stock, although by 

 this time they have a large admixture of more or less 

 Aryan blood among them. Where they have not had 

 much contact with the dwellers of the plains, they show 

 broad, squat, black features, smooth, hairless, thick-lipped 

 faces, and, as a rule, stunted, though hardy and wiry, little 

 frames. When they have not too free intercourse with the 

 superior (?) native of purer Aryan descent, they are ex- 

 tremely honest and truthful, and are at all times character- 

 ised by much good nature and a considerable sense of 

 humour. 



The Korkuni appears to possess a better physique than 

 her lord and master ; and in many instances, especially 

 where an Aryan cross may be suspected, is not exactly ill- 

 favoured, with smooth, finely turned, well-developed limbs, 

 and often a surprisingly fair colour. They have also the 

 free, easy carriage of hill-folk. 



To see a party of Korku women swinging down some 



