32 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



The latter was an intelligent little man, and well acquainted 

 with the jungles, but was in a way, I believe, under subjec- 

 tion to Emaum, who was, to say the least of it, a very remark- 

 able man. He was by birth almost a pure negro, with all the 

 characteristics of the race both in face and person. He 

 generally moved in light marching order, his dress consisting 

 of an unclean turban, and a strip of cloth passed under a 

 string, which he wore round his waist. Over his shoulder he 

 carried a brown blanket. His accoutrements were a long flint 

 gun, a belt with sundry bags attached, and a long knife. By 

 Creed a Mahomedan, he was, I regret to say, addicted to strong 

 waters, and when he came to us he stipulated that his daily 

 wage should be one shilling and two glasses of brandy. He 

 was, however, so far mindful of his duty to his employers that 

 he never, except on special occasions, took his drink till the 

 day's work was over. He seemed much pleased at the 

 prospect of sport, and informed us that he had a strong pre- 

 dilection for flesh a craving which, he added, had not been 

 lately gratified. Moideen was the son of old Kamah, men- 

 tioned by " The Old Forest Kanger," in whose words the fol- 

 lowing anecdote of his early life is well told : 



" While sitting at breakfast we were alarmed by hearing 

 cries of distress proceeding from the Jagheerdar's hut, and on 

 running out to ascertain the cause, we found old Kamah in a 

 furious state of excitement, his left hand firmly fixed in the 

 woolly pate of the hopeful scion of his house, and belabouring 

 him soundly with a stout bamboo. 



" We inquired what crime young Moideen had been guilty 

 of, to bring upon him such a storm of parental indignation, 

 and learned, to our astonishment, that it was all owing to his 

 having killed a tiger ! 



" One of his father's tame buffaloes having been killed by 



