CONDUCTORS AND THEIR WIVES. 
bufe it still wanted three months of the time before that 
period would arrive. The reply was, keep us ; don’t 
send as away> we will work half time, or for our rice 
until crop season arrives^ Here was a case in w^hich 
they had regularly done for themselves* because in 
tbe usual course of events* it would have been the 
new arrivals who would have been (^taken on, to 
work short time or for their rice, but the old 
hands having given notice to leave, and that notice 
having been accepted, were old hands no longer, but 
had placed themselves exactly in the position of new 
by their own act, and so had no reason to complain of 
the consequences of their own actions. 
By this sharp practice and decided course of action 
which was fully acted up to, notwithstanding many 
petitions and remonstrances from the Kanganies, who 
thought master was only a little angry, by and bye 
he would give in after having frightened, the people, 
but when they found master did not give in, that he 
kept to his word, their care of and respect for the 
master was greatly increased. There were no more 
false notices to leave, the tables were turned, master 
had a powerful lever in his hands, and knew how 
to use it, the lever was this : — “ If you don’t behave 
yourselves, if you don’t do proper work, at the end of 
the month, I will discharge you.” The news would 
spread “ Master is angry, is going to pay us off. This 
won’t do, we must please and propitiate the master.” 
That evening the conductor and kanganies would be 
nearly an hour later of coming to the. bungalow ; the 
kanganie, shaking his long stick would valiantly ex- 
claim, He had punished the men for their insolence, 
for they had all cut four or five holes more than the 
appointed task and then he would wrathfully abuse 
all their relations at a great rate, especially their 
mothers and sisters. 
One day, after breakfast, the Conductor approached 
the bungalow, at a very rapid rat e 5 while wondering 
if anything could be wrong, to bring the men at this 
unusual time, he hurriedly stepped into the verandah, 
very much excited, walking boldly up to where we 
were sitting, all his usual respectful manner gone, he 
did not even remove his hat from his head, and 
burst forth with the exclamation, in a very loud 
tone of voice, ‘^Master know where my wife is?” 
We felfc very much irritated at his unusual insolent 
demeanour, and told him very sharply, we knew 
nothing about that lively, troublesome lady, neither 
did we wish to know ; to go away to his work, and 
if this troublesome behaviour was repeated, we would be 
under the necessity of dispensing with his services. 
This threat seemed suddenly to cool him down, and 
he briefly explained, he had heard his wife, who had 
