LIFE AT NUNDOBAR: CHOLERA 



On recovering he solemnly informed me that he awakened 

 in the night and had seen an old man with a long grey 

 beard walking up and down, who, on being challenged, 

 had melted into space ! An over-indulgence in his evening 

 meal of rice was probably the origin of this apparition ; 

 anyway it was never seen again, nor were we ever troubled 

 by any other ghosts. 



My life at Nundobar was necessarily a solitary one, for 

 except when a man or two came out to me for sport, I 

 never saw a European. However, I was perfectly happy, 

 living amongst the Bhils, and being in excellent health 

 too, had no reason to complain. 



What with my police and tiger-slaying duties, I had not 

 much time to myself, but occasionally took a morning or 

 afternoon off for coursing, both jackals and foxes being 

 very numerous in the plains below my bungalow. The 

 going was excellent too, and I had some first-rate Persian 

 greyhounds, which I had purchased from the stables in 

 Bombay when buying remounts for the troop of Mounted 

 Police. 



Nevertheless, my life was not all " beer and skittles," 

 to use perhaps a vulgar, but most expressive, phrase, for 

 we had once a very bad visitation of cholera, which swept 

 away most of the inhabitants of a village some three miles 

 from my bungalow, and though in my own establishment 

 I took every precaution, I lost two orderlies and my cook, 

 the last a serious blow ! 



This man and his wife were both attacked at the same 

 time, and attended by the native apothecary, who, however, 

 was struck down himself the next morning and died. 

 The woman recovered, owing possibly to brandy and chloro- 

 dyne, which, being now without a medical expert, I pre- 

 scribed and administered in large doses. 



But such is the curious working of the native mind 

 she was no sooner convalescent and able to get about, than 

 she came up to my bungalow and insisted I should present 

 her with a new " sari," * declaring that I had ruined the 

 last. 



It appears that in administering my remedies I had 



* Clothing worn by native women, 



67 



