240 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



next day however. When seen walking about undisturbed in 

 the jungle their pace is most curious, raising their feet absurdly 

 high as if stepping over large stones, and putting them down 

 with a fastidious delicacy and softness as if they were walking 

 on eggs, a simultaneous " bobbing " action of the head and 

 neck giving them altogether very much the gait of "that 

 generous bird the hen." They live on the green shoots of 

 bushes, young grass, and fallen jungle fruits ; and their venison 

 is coarse and tasteless. 



The same afternoon two of the Bheels who had been out 

 scouting in a very solitary part of the hills to the east of the 

 valley came in and reported a large herd of bison as always 

 to be found where they had been. Nothing is more difficult 

 than to get really reliable news about the haunts of animals, 

 until you can get the few jungle people who do know 

 thoroughly enlisted in your interests. If you ask any one 

 else, or even them when they don't care to tell you, ten to 

 one they will charge their faces with a stare of utter vacuity, 

 and ask you "if it is not a jungle," implying that, if you 

 allow so much, of course you must know where to find beasts. 

 The little block of hills we were going to visit is quite shut 

 in from all the ordinary lines of travelling in these parts. 

 There is no road into it by which carts can be taken ; cattle 

 are never sent to graze there by the neighbouring villagers ; 

 and thus no one ever goes into it, excepting a single family of 

 Bheels who are the hereditary Turvees* of an ancient village, 

 said to have existed in the palmy days of Mahomedan rule in 

 one of its valleys, and now represented by half a dozen Mhowa 

 trees, the fruit of which these Bheels still go annually to 

 gather. Two of the family happened to be among our scouts, 



* The Turvee is the chief of a Bheel clan or settlement ; and all heads of Bheel 

 villages in this part of the country are so called by courtesy. 



