A CLEVER CAPTURE 



called on to do so, replying to Captain H , "If you 



wish to take me prisoner, come yourself. I will not be 

 taken by anyone except a sahib." 



Exasperated by the insolence of this challenge, which 

 was probably the effect it was intended to have, Captain 



H entered boldly into the hut, when Babaji, who was 



armed with an ancient match-lock, "fired and shot him 

 dead then, with the greater number of his followers, 

 broke out of the hut and escaped. 



The direction of the operations now developed on Sir 



F S r, who was Captain H 's assistant at the 



time. The murder of his superior officer so far from 

 deterring him, made him all the more determined to arrest 

 the murderer, and continuing the pursuit, he finally got on 

 his tracks, eventually succeeding in arresting him in a most 

 plucky and ingenious manner. 



Having marked him down at length in the valley, in 

 the vicinity of which there was a large, deep pool of water, 

 he discovered him one morning bathing in this pool. 



Surrounding the valley with his men, S , who had been 



disguised as a native throughout, approached the pool, 

 and slipping quietly, swam close up to the bather, then, 

 diving suddenly, seized the unsuspecting Babaji by the 

 legs and dragged him under water. 



Being an exceptionally good swimmer and thoroughly 

 at home in the water he had no difficulty in mastering his 

 prisoner whom, half drowned and terrified out of his wits, 

 he brought ashore safely, and, I presume, formally re- 

 arrested ! 



Meanwhile the rest of the gang, seeing their leader 

 captured, scattered at once, but the greater number were 

 secured, and together with their chief, were sent in under 

 a strong escort to Nagar, where the news of this great haul 

 having already preceded them, the police received quite 

 an ovation. 



As the party reached Nagar, they were met by the 

 band of the regiment and played into the station, a com- 

 pliment never known to have been accorded to a party of 

 police before, thus proving how important the capture of 

 so notable a criminal as Babaji was considered. 



Quite apart from this, however, the action of the 



219 



