284 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



mysterious way daily, either out of the village at 

 night, or from the fields when they went to work. 

 Of course, in accordance with native customs, every 

 trifling act was exaggerated, and it was impossible 

 to arrive at the exact truth ; but one fact was un- 

 deniable : for some time past villagers had disappeared 

 and no traces had been found of them. 



When the shikaries appeared, I again asked them 

 all about it, and offered a reward of Es. 20 if they 

 would sit up and account for the "devil." The 

 amount offered was a small fortune to them, yet they 

 hesitated a good deal before accepting it, but they 

 finally agreed. I was too tired to sit up myself. 

 Although in good training, a seventy mile ride in 

 May is no joke, and every bone in my body ached, so 

 devil or no devil, I determined to rest that night ; 

 but before going to bed, I walked round the village. 

 The country was open on three sides, and had been 

 well cultivated, but on the fourth there was a belt of 

 jungle, which led, I was told, into the heart of the 

 noted Nirmul Forest. I obtained two sheep, which 

 cost in those days from eight annas to ten annas each, 

 and had them picketed some distance apart. We 

 chose two tall trees, had a native charpoy or bed 

 slung in each, on which the two natives took post, 

 and then retired. I took the precaution of lighting 

 several large bonfires round my own camp, and once 

 in bed and tucked up inside the mosquito curtains I 

 was fast asleep in a few moments afterwards, and 

 did not awake till close on daybreak. My boy had 

 the matutinal cup of coffee ready, and swallowing it, I 

 sallied forth accompanied by my orderly. We went 

 to where the men had been placed. The sheep were 



