JUNGLE TAILORS, SERVANTS AND COURTS, 
heard arrived, and a cold, dreary, weary ride was 
accomplished up the Ramboda Pass to the court- 
house, where our appearance was put in at the ap- 
pointed time. The whole case was stated, as has 
already been described, and the decision was (although 
the whole circumstances of the case were suspicious 
against the tailor, still a man could not be convicted 
of theft merely on suspicion : his plea, that the 
boy had put the clothes in his bag, was very 
plausible, and with regard to the peculiarities of 
native character, even probable) : — That we had been 
much too precipitate in our action. No notice should 
have been taken of the bag so long as it remained 
in the kitchen ; while it was there it could not be 
said to contain stolen articles, as from our own ad- 
mission it was the usage of the tailor to keep the 
property at which he was working there, and we 
had also admitted he was repairing some old suits. 
Proof positive should have been waited for, until he 
lifted and carried off the bag, for even allowing his 
excuse, “ An enemy has done this, ’’ would not have 
been of any weight when he lifted the bag, and 
carried it off, there could then have been no doubt 
on the subject ; and so it was decided that the tailor 
be paid the balance of his account, cost of 
summons, and all expenses. After this was done, we 
could become pursuer in another case, bringing it on 
in a charge against the tailor and the boy, for it 
was evident the one was as bad as the other. 
We were beaten, thoroughly beaten at law, by a tailor. 
So we there and then paid over to him the balance of! 
his wages in presence of the court, and the tailor 
departed rejoicing. After some refreshment we mounted 
our horse, and set off, and as bad luck would have 
it, overtook the tailor in a lonely part of the jungle 
road, a little below the toll ; he was in company with 
some friends, all of whom had evidently been having 
some liquor, as they were very merry, singing and 
laughing. As we cantered up, it was evidently some 
mongrel song about the defeat of the master, for 
the chorus and refrain was, “ Heigho Durai”; be- 
sides the word durai occurred very frequently in 
the verses in what seemed a very undignified 
way. So our wrath was kindled once more, and 
on passing the party gave the tailor, who was the 
chief singer, a cut across the shoulders with our 
hunting-whip, passing the remark, “ Take that for 
your impudence,’^ and rode on ; but soon pulled up, 
being under the impression that a very foolish 
action had been committed, and resolved to wait until 
the party came up and smooth over the matter ; but 
waited a long time and nobody came. A dread and 
