THE INDIAN HUNTER. 73 



the leaves would burn his skin, he replied, " Burn 

 'em, yes ! Me want burn 'em ! Don' ca' damn ! " 

 Pain is a necessity to success ; it is therefore 

 borne without any outward sign being visible. 

 As in the case of the whip-like nose beena, it 

 would be cowardly to flinch. 



Beenas may be general or particular. In the 

 first the charm is supposed to attract beasts, birds, 

 and fishes, and to make the huntsman successful 

 in every way: such is a caterpillar found on the 

 Savannahs. It is probably the stinging larva of 

 a moth (Empretia or Megalopyge), and is crushed 

 before using. Not only is the man inoculated 

 with this virulent insect, but the dog as well. 

 He lacerates his thighs and rubs in the pulp, 

 at every scratch uttering the name of the deer, 

 labba, agouti, and so on, for as many as he has 

 made cuts. Every twinge is a reply to the call, 

 and no doubt, if the unction was painless, he 

 would have no confidence in the result. The 

 poor dog has its nostrils cut with razor-grass, 

 the blades being pushed up and down until 

 bleeding shows them to be ready for the larva. 

 The poor animal rushes off into the bush howling 

 and whining; he fails to appreciate that this 

 awful torture will make him as successful as 

 his master. 



