74 The Hunting Grounds 



not nearly so good-looking. I also said he was much 

 to be pitied, for he had the misfortune to have a 

 curious-shaped lump (sometimes running) in the 

 middle of his face, with a great black patch o' hair 

 underneath, and I never heard tell that any doctor 

 had been bold enough to offer to remove it. 



"As I said this, the giggling behind the curtain 

 ceased suddenly, and I knew the shot had gone home, 

 from a faint cry of horror, which I conclude came 

 from the affianced bride. The black factotum seemed 

 to be very grievously affected at my recital : he 

 cocked his head on one side, winked both eyes, 

 screwed up his blubber lips, wrung his hands, and 

 then, as . if he could not contain himself, burst into a 

 loud yell, threw himself his whole length on the floor 

 at the Begum's feet, and in great agitation and trem- 

 bling began, in a voice something like the higher 

 notes of a jackal's howl, broken by frequent bursts of 

 sobs and great overflow of tears, which actually 

 drenched his face, to inform her that he, the most 

 miserable of her slaves, had once seen an individual 

 labouring under a similar misfortune; that he was 

 always fearfully vicious and cranky, especially at cer- 

 tain times of the day when the pain from the tumour 

 drove him mad ; and he conjured his mistress not to 

 send her faithful servant to the harem of such a ter- 

 rible bud-surut (ugly man), who would make him eat 

 dirt all the rest of his miserable existence. 



