Daily Kennebec journal. [microfilm reel] (Augusta, Me.) 1870-1975, 1895-01-16

will plant cucumbers here, and melons
there. in the new land that the river
has given him. He feels the good mud
with his bare toes. Anon comes
another. saying he viii put onions and
carrots and sugar cane in such and
such places They meet as boats adrift
meet, and each rolls his eye at the
other under the big blue turban. The
old mugger sees and hears. Each calls
the other brother and they go to
mark out the boundaries Of the new
land. The mugger hurries with them
from point to point, shutting very low
through the mud. Now they begin to
quarrel! Now they say hot words
Now they pull turbans! Now they lift
up their lathis clubs, and at last one
falls backward into the mud and the
other runs away. When he comes back
the dispute is settled, as the iron
bound bamboo of the loser witnesses.
Yet they are not grateful to the mug
ger. No, they cry murder and their
families fight with sticks, twenty
side. My people are good people-up-
land Jats-Malwais of the Bet. They
do not give blows for sport, and when
the fight is done the old mugger waits
far down the river ont of sight of the
village, behind the killar scrub
yonder. Then come they down, my
broad-shouldered Jats eight or
nine together under the stars, bear
ing the dead man upon "A bed.
They are old men with gray
boards and voices rs deep as mine.
They light little fire-ah!. how we'll /
know that ireland they drink to-
bacco, and they nod their heads to-
gcthcr forward in a ring, or sideways
towards the dead man on the bank.
They say the English law will come
with rope for this matter, and that
such a mans family will be ashamed,
because such a man must be hanged in
the great square of the jail. Then say
the friends of the dead: Let him hang"
and the talk is all to do over again
once, twice, twenty times in the long
night. Then says one at last: The
fight was a fair fight. Let us take the
bloOd-mOney, a little more than is of
fercd by the slayer and we will say no
more about it Then do they haggle
over the blood-money, for the dead was
a strong man, leaving many sons. Yet
before amratvela (sunrise) they put the
FIRE tc him little, as the custom is
and the dead man comes to me. and he
says no more about II. Ana! my cnlI-
dren, the mugger lnows-the mugger
knows-and the Malwah Jats are a
good people,
They are too closc-too narrow in
the hand for my crop croal1cd the adj
jutant. They waste not the polish on
4 cows horn as the saying is; and,
again, who cen CLEAN after a Malwai?'
All, l-GiGan-thcm," said the mug
ger.
Now, ii Calcutta of the South, in
the old days the adjutant went on,
Everything was thrown into the
streets, and we picked and chose.
These were dainty seasons. Now they
keep their streets as clean as the out
side Of an egg, and my people fly away.
70 be clean is one thing; TO dust, sweep,
and sprinkle seven times day wearies
the very gods themselves"
There was Il down-country jacllal
had it from brother, who told me,
that in Calcutta OF the South all the
iaol,als were as fat rs offers in the
rains" said the jael.al. his mouth wa
tering at the bare thought of it,
''Ah, bat the white faces are there
the English, and they bring dogs from
somewhere down the river, in boats
ti5 fat dogs-to keep those same jacllals
loon = s,il +hn o1i1too4
They are. then, as hard-hcartcd as
these people? l might have known.
Neither earth, sky, nor water shows
charity to a iaclial. l saw the tents of
a white face last season, after the rains
and ! also took a new yellow bride to
eat. The white faces do not dress their
leather in the proper way. 1t made me
very sick"
That was better than my case, said
the adjutant. when l was in my third
season, a young and bold bird, went
down to the river where the big boats
come in. The boats Of the English are
thrice as big as this village"
He has been as far as Delhi, and
says all the people there walk on their
heads muttercd the jacllal. The mug
ger opened his left eye and looked
keenly at the adjutant.
1T is true" the big bird insisted. "a
liar only lies when he hopes to be be-
licved. Noonc who had not seen those
boats could believe this truth"
THAT is more reasonable" said the
mugger. "And thcn?"
From the insides Of this boat they
were taking out great pieces of white
stuff, which in little while turned to
water. Much split off and fell about
on the shore, and the rest they swiftly
put into house with thick walls. But
hoatman, who laughed, took piece
no larger than a small dog and threw
it to me. ALI my people-swallow
without reflection, and that piece |
swallowed as is our custom. Imme-
diately I was afflicted with an ex-
cessive cold that, beginning in my
crop, ran down to the extreme end Of
my toes. and deprived me even of
speech, while the boatmen laughed at
me. Never have l felt such cold.
danced in my grief and amazement till
| could recover my breath, and then