END OF THE ANIMALLAI CAMPAIGN. 211 



whole set of knives, I rolled up my sleeves, gave my olfactories 

 leave to suspend vsrork for the day, and went at the huge carcass as 

 eagerly as if it had been a plum-padding. It was high time, for 

 it was almost ready to walk away of its own accord. 



It was not Doraysawmy's duty to do work of that kind, and, 

 being my cook, I greatly preferred that he should not ; but the 

 faithful fellow could not stand it to see his master work alone. 

 He threw off his jacket, lit his pipe, rolled his sleeves high up and 

 fell to work on ihe side opposite me. The Mulcers looked on in 

 wonder. We worked like a couple of steam engines, and the flesh 

 rolled off the skeleton in chunks half as large as ourselves. From 

 time to time, I fired up with Bass' ale and port wine, and the longer 

 the fever kept away the harder I worked. The Mulcers lay there 

 within twenty yards of us, wrapped in their cloths, sleeping the 

 sleep of innocence. 



By four o'clock we had the entire body and pelvis roughed out, 

 and the worst was over. Then the Mulcers got up, yawned, shook 

 out their cloths and started down to work. We took no notice of 

 them until the first comer picked up a knife, and then I bawled 

 out at the top of my voice, 



" Drop that knife ! " 



He dropped it. He did not understand the words, but the tone 

 and gesture were unmistakable. The Mulcers were astonished. 



" But we are going to work ! " they said to Doraysawmy. 



"The sahib says you shan't touch this elephant/' he repUed in 

 a savage tone. 



" Well, then we will go ! " 



The boy told me what they said, and in their own language I 

 told them, " Go, you rascals ! " 



Then said Doraysawmy impressively, " If you Mulcers go off 

 and leave the sahib alone in the jungle, Theobald Sahib will give 

 eacb one of you six months in jail ! " 



There was far more truth than poetry in that statement, and the 

 men knew it well. We knew they would not dare to go unless I 

 abused them. Somehow, European sportsmen and Government 

 officers have all natives so thoroughly trained that they have a 

 wholesome fear of the consequences when they are tempted to 

 abandon a white man in the jungle. Usually they will not do it 

 under any circumstances, for I remember that when I wanted the 

 Mudumallay Chetties to leave me alone Avith a dead bull bison 

 while they went after more men, they refused point blank and 



