LUTCHMAN THE BEYDAR. 83 



Tipu and all his hosts. They were besieged for years 

 in the famous fort of Chitaldroog, and although 

 at times reduced to the utmost extremities, a bold 

 sally on more than one occasion enabled them to 

 seize the enemy's camp and re- victual the fortress. 

 It is said that on the capture of Chitaldroog 

 by treachery, there were found several thousand 

 human heads before the shrine of the goddess Kali 

 within the fort. During the siege, at daybreak 

 each day, the collary horn a long brazen trumpet 

 used by these tribes would sound, and out would 

 rush a number of Beydars from the most un- 

 expected quarters, and kill and behead such of 

 the enemy as fell into their hands. These heads 

 were offered as a morning sacrifice to the san- 

 guinary goddess. 



Wild boar hunting is the chief sport among the 

 Beydars. In the luxuriant millet fields and cane- 

 brakes of the Mysore table-land this brute attains 

 an enormous size. When the millet is in ear and 

 the cane ripens, a sounder of pig will do an immense 

 amount of damage in a single night. The path 

 taken by the swine in their course from their 

 haunts to the fields is carefully marked, and a 

 day for the hunt is selected when the moon shines 

 bright towards morn. At that hour the herds have 

 finished feeding and make for their haunts. The 

 most skilful among the spearsmen post them- 

 selves on each side of the path the pigs take 

 when returning. A leafy branch resting on the 

 ground and supported by the left hand, conceals 

 the spearsman. In his right hand is held the 



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