130 ContrlbiUiom to the Ornlthologi/ of Iiidia, 8fc. 



his way. A few days only had elapsed when thieves attacked 

 the Buaya's house at night and robbed him of all his valuables. 

 The -dog- foug-ht gallantly and bit several of the robbers^ but he 

 was ultimately Ivuocked over^ and they made g-ood their escape. 

 As for the Bunya he pretended to be asleep until quite sure that 

 tlie thieves were well out of hearing^ and then shouting vigo- 

 rously he rushed out sword in hand_, and all but slaughtered the 

 villag'o watchman who had also just made his appearance. Now 

 it happened that in those days (we never fortunately hear any 

 thing of this kind now) the thieves and the Police were very 

 often the same people, and so it had happened in the present case. 

 The dog had recognized them. Early in the morning he went 

 on their tracks, smelt out every place where the property was- 

 concealed, dragged his master some miles across country to the 

 Rajah, dragged the Rajah, who went on account of the novelty 

 of the thing some miles further to where the Police werfr 

 stationed, pointed out where the property was concealed in and 

 about their houses, then rushed off home and returned with a 

 number of pieces of cloth which he had bitten out of their clothes, 

 which of course exactly fitted and matched, and to cut the mat- 

 ter short so comported himself as to secure two desirable results, 

 the restoration of all the property and the decapitation of all the 

 Police. 



If only this latter good old custom had survived to these 

 degenerate days ! it is no use, however, wishing for a breed of 

 similar dogs as Superintendents of Police ; high or chief Courts 

 now-a-days require better evidence than an^ poor dog can get 

 together ! 



Well, the merchant was overjoyed, and on his return said 

 to the dog " truly you have redeemed your master^s pledge. 

 I give him the grain, you may go and tell him so.""^ The dog 

 bowed politely three times, wagged his tail twice, and disap- 

 peared. It was evening when after a fifty mile run, the j)oor 

 weary, faithful dog, met his master half way up Duryalo. The 

 dog was ovei^joyed, but his master who having recovered a debt 

 due to him was on his way to repay the merchant, was furious. 

 " So wretch,^'' he gasped out " I trusted my honour to you, and 

 you have disgraced me ; my pledge is broken — die V and with 

 one blow of his heavy axe he cleft his skull asunder. , 



All the long, hot, dusty journey to the merchant's house, 

 was to the Hill-man longer, hotter, dustier, than it ever yet 

 had been to mortal man; he had killed his best friend ; it 

 had no doubt disgraced him, but why had he killed it? 

 he had no wife, no child; who cared for him ? what did he 

 care for ? save this one friend, now doubtless, eaten by the 



