202 HUNTING IN THE JUNGLE. 



service, tried to get him to accept one of liis own riders 

 in place of the dead man, but he could not accomplish 

 it, for if any one even approached the body or the de- 

 spatches he broke into uncontrollable fury, and effectually 

 prevented any interference with them. 



Seeing that his efforts were of .no use. the chief let him 

 have his own way, and simply ordered two mounted 

 soldiers to follow him. Taking his former rider and .the 

 mail-bags across his neck, he set out at a tremendous 

 pace for his original destination, wdiere he arrived without 

 stop in twelve hours, leaving the horsemen far behind, 

 ride as they might. 



Later this same faithful animal was attacked by an 

 ophthalmia which was pronoimced incurable by the Eng- 

 lish veterinary surgeons, and sold to the Brahman priests 

 of a rich monastery near by. These skilful men cured 

 him so quickly as to suggest the idea of a conspiracy to 

 aid them in getting so A'-aluable an acquisition at a low 

 price. At any rate, they made capital use of him, sending 

 him far and near within a radius of thirty leagues with 

 a bag hung at his neck, into which he put everything 

 given him, like a good mendicant friar ; and what he 

 received he knew well how to protect from all comers. 



One day I saw him pumping water into the trough at 

 which the animals belonsrinai; to the friars drank, — for this 

 w^as one of his regular duties, — but in an unusually impa- 

 tient way that attracted my attention to the cause. And 

 no wonder, for some mischievous rascal had put a large 



