FALSE "KHUBBER." 121 



returning to Mungaum, that a messenger from 

 Manajee had long been waiting their arrival, with 

 the information that a female bear and cub had been 

 marked down into a cave. The afternoon was well 

 advanced, and as they had still twelve or fourteen 

 miles of a hilly jungle road to ride to reach Oonge, 

 they feared that the bear, unless killed without any 

 delay, might escape them. 



Accompanied by the Mungaum beaters accord- 

 ingly, they lost no time in following their guide to 

 the place where Manajee had appointed to meet them. 

 This was said to be near a fine spring of water, 

 about four miles up a valley on the road to Oonge. 

 In due course this was reached ; and Mauajee, 

 greatly deploring the loss of time, inveighed in no 

 measured terms against the village and all it con- 

 tained, whose false reports had thus been the cause 

 of delaying the Sahibs. 



Man, woman, and child, he gave over to perdition ; 

 with many most uncomplimentary remarks, reflecting 

 on the chastity of the female population, past, pre- 

 sent, and future. It appeared that there was some 

 rivalry between the two villages ; and the delin- 

 quents, jealous of the emolument derived from the 

 Sahibs by those with whom they were at enmity, 

 had taken advantage of the absence of the shikarees, 

 and endeavoured to attract a portion of the good 



