TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



to be in, as for instance, any persons whom I had reason 

 for supposing were secretly engaged in criminal pursuits. 



In this way I picked up on one occasion some valuable 

 information about a Bhil named Lai-Sing, who subsequently 

 developed into a somewhat famous leader of Dacoits, and 

 whose arrest was eventually accomplished in the following 

 curious fashion. 



We had been troubled for some time by a gang of Dacoits 

 supposed to be under the leadership of this man, who was 

 a deserter from the Mawas, or Irregular Police. They had 

 committed several murders, held up villages, stopped 

 travellers on the roads, etc., etc., and when finally pressed 

 by our special parties, the leader took refuge in the hills 

 where it was impossible to locate him, though he was seen 

 once or twice and fired at, but escaped. 



At length one night, while still engaged in the pursuit, 

 I was asleep in a bungalow at Palasnair, a village at the foot 

 of the hills, when I was awoke by a feeling as of some one 

 near me, and in the dim morning light I saw a nude, wild 

 figure, armed with a bow and arrows. I asked him what 

 he wanted, awaiting his answer with some interest, for 

 I had by then recognized my visitor as being no less 

 important an individual than the famous Dacoit leader, 

 Lai-Sing himself, the very person I was in pursuit of ! 



He said " he had come to give himself up on condition 

 that he was forgiven, and that I would keep him myself," 

 by which, I presume, he meant that I would not give him 

 up to justice. He added " that he would return for my 

 answer, but that he must now rejoin his comrades, who were 

 awaiting him in a village some two miles off." 



I replied " that I was delighted to see him," which was 

 true enough ; then, knowing a BhiPs weakness for alcoholic 

 liquids, suggested he should have a drink before he went, 

 and producing a full bottle of brandy, handed it to him, 

 after knocking off the top. While he was testing its con- 

 tents, swallowing the major portion in the process, I stole 

 out, and calling to the sentry who, by the way, I found 

 asleep we captured the sporting reprobate, who was 

 eventually sent up and tried, and being convicted, was 

 sentenced to a long term of imprisonment. 



***** 



54 



