160 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



sign of his own tracks and imprinting others in a manner 

 to deceive anybody. It can be well understood that moon- 

 light was essential for such manoeuvres. A few Kurumbers 

 who were wanted to give evidence in a thieving case had been 

 brought to be safely housed in our compound pending the 

 trial lest they should run away, and this old person was one 

 of the ' credible witnesses/ As far, however, as he was 

 concerned with our tomatoes F. let him go free, his bagful 

 of spoils with him, just for his cleverness, and for exemplify- 

 ing, as he had done to a nicety, the truth of a keen old 

 proverb of his own land which says, ' There is shade under 

 the lamp.' 



The Kurumbers were in our estimation the best all- 

 round men amongst the jungle tribes with which we had 

 to do ; they seemed to know what they were about more 

 than most ; some could even be relied on to speak the truth. 

 Consequently, as we employed them whenever they were 

 available, we came to understand them well. If a man 

 were especially good at anything he was almost bound to 

 be a Kurumber ; on the same principle, from a certain 

 thoroughness of character belonging to the tribe, if a 

 Kurumber were a rogue he would be an extra smart one. 



Among the little company of the Kurumber witnesses 

 temporarily thrown on our hands one man was a black- 

 smith. These people are not indolent, so till their case 

 should come on work was found for them in and about the 

 Experimental Garden, and the blacksmith soon showed the 

 quality of his muscle. What he lacked physically in other 

 respects he made up by the strength of his arms, and it 

 was a treat to see a native swing a hammer as he did. 

 Wearing very little besides, he had round his waist a slender 

 chain, not of links, but of fine wirework, as flexible as twine, 

 and not much thicker ; this I at first took to be of steel, 

 but it was in reality of silver, tarnished to blackness with 

 use, and was probably never taken off. This chain was 



