ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 195 



but for that ; eating this and that food, and so on, for they 

 are childishly greedy. Some of them would not eat any- 

 thing that had ever had life — animal life — though they would 

 have liked to do so. Others might eat a killed animal, but 

 not a dead one ; that is to say, if it had died after being shot 

 they might not eat it, but if its throat were cut before death 

 occurred, then they might ; and we were not likely to oblige 

 them in this detail, even had it been possible. That was 

 the state of things with some Mussulman peons we had, who 

 often looked longingly enough at the rest feasting, but with 

 these latter it was more a question of religion than caste. 

 One cannot but admire and respect their constancy, for 

 nothing tempts them to break through their principles, 

 however hair-splitting some of their prejudices appear to us. 



Beaters, I must explain, are men whose part in a shikar 

 expedition is to make as much noise as they can by shouting, 

 clapping hands, thumping tom-toms, blowing horns, etc., 

 as a preliminary to the sport proper, the object being to 

 surprise and disturb any possible game, and so drive it out 

 in any given direction. 



Though the slaves were as good as any at this, they were 

 less practised at manoeuvring and circling the coverts, not 

 having such unlimited leisure at their disposal as others of 

 the country, and the hill-men, who organise beats on their 

 own account. The methods of these last are cruel to a 

 degree, giving the hunted no chance at all, let alone ruining 

 the country for decent sport. They sally forth by dozens, 

 and with their clamour soon drive a marked animal into a 

 small covert ; a doe or fawn, no matter, it is all one to 

 them, they being agile enough to accomplish their object 

 even with a tiger or a panther. They then surround the 

 place with enormously high nets, without a rent or a weak 

 bit anywhere, catching them on to the trees firmly ; for there 

 must be no breaking through — trust these hunters for seeing 

 to that ! Then when the quarry has been driven, dazed 



