OF THE OLD WORLD, 51 



persevering follower after large game, besides being 

 entirely devoted to me. His only fault veas his love 

 of rackee, (spirit made from the sap of the Palmyra 

 palm, date, or cocoa-nut tree.) 



The rest of the gang, who were almost naked, 

 with the exception of the waistcloths, leather skull- 

 caps, and their sandals, carried my other guns and 

 light short bamboo spears. Each had a bill-hook 

 stuck in his waistcloth behind, which they used with 

 great dexterity in cutting their way through the 

 jungle, and two carried large American backwoods- 

 man's axes slung at their back, and another a mnshalc 

 or leather bottle containing water. Both the village 

 shekarries were in similar costume, and each carried 

 a long native matchlock on his shoulder, and a huge 

 knife in his belt. 



"Well, Chineah," said I, "what news of shekar 

 have you got ? " 



"Boht utcha kubber hy, sahib" (there is very 

 good news, sir.) •'All people tell that, near Botta 

 Singarum, one village two coss* off, there got one 

 burra bagh (big tiger,) who kill plenty men, sahib ; 

 Kistimah, this man here, he tell, eat one old woman 

 yesterday. Boht shytan hy, sahib (he is a great 

 devil, sir,) for though all shekarmen, and village 

 people, plenty, plenty looking, never can find, when 

 all come home, tiger go kill one man. Wo burra 

 char hy, sahib (he is a great thief, sir.) Ah, sahib, 

 this very good shekar country. All jamuars (beasts) 



* A coss is about two miles. 



