146 THE EASTEEX HUNTERS. 



and there seemed no reason to suspect anyone else. 

 Natives will commit the most awful crimes for the 

 sake of a rupee or two. They really seem to regard 

 life as an article of but the very smallest value." 



" But to return to our sheep, or rather snakes," 

 said Hawkes. " I suppose you two have shot 

 numbers ? " 



"Why, yes. A man cannot knock about the 

 country much without doing a little in that line," 

 answered Norman. "I remember cutting a cobra 

 in two. He passed just in front, without taking 

 any notice of me. I fired into him, and he was so 

 close that the charge had hardly spread, and cut 

 him clean in two. On another occasion I gave 

 chase to a cobra close to the servants' outhouses, 

 got a snap-shot in a hedge, and cut several inches 

 off the creature's tail ; this I picked up, but the 

 principal portion of the snake managed to escape." 



" Now, Hawkes," observed Mackenzie, " I think 

 you have done pretty well in the snake line. Per- 

 haps you would like a little of your other special 

 aversion, ' mad dogs.' " 



" Yes," exclaimed Hawkes, eagerly ; " I should. 

 Tell me, did you ever see any one die of hydro- 

 phobia ? " 



" Only one, and that was a poor native boy who 

 was brought to our camp on one occasion, when I 



