1 2 Sport and Life in the Further Himalaya 



The day passed, no matter whether in the dolce 

 far niente due to the presiding deity of the place, 

 or the everlasting office-work which makes the 

 Anglo-Indian official a standing wonder to the 

 Oriental mind. One incident, however, character- 

 istic of the people must be related. 



An old man came into the garden, and, after the 

 usual salaams, explained that he was a native of 

 Mastuj, a district not under the Mehtar's rule. 

 He had not very wisely married a young wife, 

 who a few days ago had eloped with a noble who 

 was a subject of the Mehtar. I explained my 

 sympathy with his misfortunes, but did not see in 

 what way I could assist, as it was his own special 

 privilege to hunt the guilty couple down and slay 

 them. Oh, he explained, I could help him very 

 materially, his wife and her paramour were now 

 concealed within this very castle walls : as for 

 killing them, he desired no such thing; all he 

 wanted was that the erring wife should be handed 

 over to him, when all would be forgiven and the 

 lady received back into his own home. But by 

 doing so, it was explained, he would forfeit the 

 right of taking revenge on the ruiner of his home, 

 as the universal rule among the tribesmen of the 

 North- West Frontier is that they must kill both 

 parties or neither. Revenge, however, it appeared, 

 was far from his thoughts ; all he wanted was his 



