TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



hard ground. The pony fortunately stood still, and, 

 except for a few bruises and torn clothing, I was none the 

 worse for my flight. 



Curiously enough in this instance the person weighing 

 lightest came off best ; for my wife, who is very light, 

 remained in the trap, in fact, so little did she feel the jar, 

 that she was quite at a loss to understand my sudden exit. 



The carelessness of syces is, as I have said, proverbial ; 

 but though perhaps more pronounced in this particular 

 class, is a failing common to most natives, and is often the 

 cause of serious troubles, as in the case I quote below. 



A friend of mine, named G , who was at the time an 



Assistant Deputy Collector, happening to be out on tour in 

 his district on the day of the King's Coronation, thought 

 it only right to celebrate the occasion by having what is 

 termed in India a Tamasha, i.e., a function. He therefore 

 decided to get up some sports, etc., in the village where he 

 was encamped, and as a grand finale — to give a Royal 

 Salute with an ancient muzzle-loading cannon which, 

 unfortunately — as it turned out — happened to be in the 

 village, and had hitherto been regarded merely as a 

 curiosity. 



There was some difficulty in procuring a sufficient 

 quantity of gunpowder, also as to who should charge the 

 piece, and fire it off, etc., but all was finally overcome by the 

 chief borar^* who volunteered to see to all arrangements 

 assisted by his son, and all for the modest sum of eight 

 annas — or, in English money, about tenpence ! 



G accordingly issued invitations to all the local 



magnates, and about sunset, after the sports were over, 

 an expectant crowd gathered round, awaiting the firing of 

 the salute. 



All being reported ready, G , assuming a martial 



air, took off his hat and stood at attention, the crowd 

 following his example, except in the matter of removing 

 their head cover, which as most of the men wore pugris was 

 not possible. 



The elder borar being still busily employed in ramming 

 in the powder at the muzzle, had not noticed that his son, 

 to whom he had entrusted the important duty of firing off 



* Merchant. 

 212 



