ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 281 



children, do. What a village dog would refuse they will eat. 

 Owing to their rank odour they could not be employed in 

 any other work about the camp than skinning and rough, 

 temporary tanning, when such was wanted of them. We 

 used to think they rather congratulated themselves upon 

 this, as, of course, they shared in all else that was going. 

 Yet they certainly have their uses, as was once proved to 

 us by their absence when a bull bison had been ' bagged ' 

 and there was no one able to carry the head. As caste 

 men, those with us might not touch a dead animal, and F. 

 had to manage severing the head by himself, while they, 

 with all the will in the world, could only look on. One man 

 could not carry that head alone, but F. was determined it 

 should not be left there, even if the carcase were. Night 

 was falling, and it was a long step to the camp, or there were 

 plenty of less rigid caste who would have been glad to be 

 fetched, and so keep all the meat for themselves. As for 

 the men who were with us, though they constantly had their 

 treats when sambur or pig or buck ibex were slain, that 

 recollection would not make it a less bitter trial for them 

 to have to watch a feast in progress and be unable to 

 partake. 



However, if a coach and four can be run through any Act 

 of Parliament, so it is with caste on occasion — provided 

 nobody knows ! 



Among the men present, inactive against their will, and 

 debarred from the prospective banquet, was Botha, already 

 mentioned as a special bearer of mine. As I stood watching 

 the scene I caught a fleeting glance of wonderful intelligence 

 and complete accord crossing betwixt his merry eyes and 

 the Dor ay's grave ones ; only by F.'s subsequent action 

 could the nature of that Marconi communication be guessed 

 at. By a wave of his hand he nicked a few drops of blood 

 upon the men standing round, at which they all looked 

 properly aghast, yet were none the less very much obliged 



