FAIRLY IN THE WILDS 135 



for the next day, but failed again. Then I 

 found out by chance that Akbar' s village 

 was near, that all our supplies came from 

 his house, where he went at night, and 

 that that was the reason why he wanted to 

 remain there. Next day there were again 

 no coolies, so I sent for Akbar and told 

 him that as this place was useless, if he did 

 not get coolies, we should have to carry 

 the things ourselves. In the morning there 

 were again no coolies. So I ordered the 

 loads to be made up. There were six in 

 all, and with our three coolies, the two 

 shikaris, and myself, we marched. Under 

 ordinary circumstances a shikari is far 

 above carrying a load, but when I did it 

 myself, he could not well demur, and 

 though I was absolutely dead at the end of 

 the march, Akbar was just as much so ; 

 and I had the sense of a score to help me 

 along, while he had not. I never had any 

 more bother with coolies after that. 



A laugh followed, and I asked Lassoo 

 what he thought of sahibs generally. " As 



