356 THE EASTERN HUNTEES. 



our road daily. There will be no food in the house 

 if we remain away longer." 



" You could buy food and send it," said Hawkes, 

 who desired to retain the men, as they had proved 

 good and useful allies. Had he been so well versed 

 in sporting matters as his companions, however, he 

 would have known that such men are like fishes out 

 of water, and of but little use away from their own 

 well-known jungles, far from which they have a 

 great dislike to go. " Why do you really wish to 

 go, now "? " he added. " We have paid you well." 



"The Sahibs are great cherishers of the poor," 

 Manajee replied. "Without doubt the gentlemen 

 have treated us with great kindness. Our pay has 

 been regularly paid. But it is the fit time to 

 return to the village." 



"You are getting fat and lazy, like a lot of 

 Buneeahs," said Mackenzie, laughingly. " We have 

 fed you so well that you can't work any longer." 



" No, no, Sahib. The Sahib knows we are ready 

 to beat the jungles near our village. These are too 

 distant. It is a true word ; we have had some very 

 good dinners, but we are not fat," and he drew in 

 his pinched-up stomach till there was a regular 

 cavity. 



In truth, the spare, thin, wiry frames of the 

 dusky group showed few symptoms of obesity as 



