BEEMA, THE BAGH-MAREE. 103 



thread, so my gain was only six annas. She only 

 paid me Rs. 1-2, and when I pressed for the balance, 

 six annas, she refused to pay, and cursed me, saying 

 a tiger would eat me. 



'"A few nights after this a chota bagh (panther) 

 got into my goat pen and killed two goats and was 

 carrying off a third when I aimed a blow at its 

 head with my axe, but only cut off its ear. It 

 clawed me on the head and the wound caused all 

 the hair to drop off. I vowed revenge and learned 

 how to set the thair (spring bow) and poisoned 

 arrows, from Maun Sing the Kowtia. I have been 

 a bagh-maree for three years and I have killed 

 two tigers, ten panthers, two hunting leopards and 

 five bears. The Sirkar (Government) gives me 

 Rs. 25 for each tiger and Rs. 5 for each leopard or 

 panther. They don't pay for bears. The villagers 

 also give me four seers (=9 Ibs.) of paddy each, 

 whenever I kill a tiger or panther that has carried 

 off any of their cattle. I also get fed when I am 

 staying at any village. I do all the killing within 

 ten miles of Bara. There are other bagh-marees 

 elsewhere. 



" We bagh-marees chiefly use dakara (aconite) for 

 poisoning our arrows. Dakara is a root about a 

 span long, and as thick as my wrist. We buy 

 it at Chyebassa from the native medicine shops 

 at four annas a tola. We grind it up with a little 

 boiled rice to make a paste. This paste we rub 

 over a rag, and wind the rag round the back of 

 the arrow-head just behind the barb. The head 

 fits loosely into the shaft of the arrow, so that 



