Ranching, Sport and Travel | Page 8

with axes. The result? Two
of them died that day and the rest bolted. Yet this is not more
extraordinary than people dying of imaginary snake bites.

Shortly afterwards an incident occurred to still further strengthen the
native belief that the tree was haunted. I had a very fine bull terrier
which slept in the porch at night, the night-watchman also sleeping
there. One time I was aroused by terrific yells from the dog, and called
to the watchman to know the trouble. After apparently recovering from
his fright he told me the devil had come from the tree and carried off
the dog. The morning showed traces of a tiger's or leopard's pugs, and
my poor terrier was of course never seen again.
The hill tribes surrounding the valley of Cachar were the Kassias,
Nagas, Kookies, Munipoories and Looshais, all of very similar type,
except that the Munipoories were of somewhat lighter skin, were more
civilized and handsomer. The Kassias were noted for their wonderful
muscular development, no doubt accounted for by their being
mountaineers, their poonjes (villages) being situated on the sides of
high and steep mountains. All their market products, supplies, etc.,
were packed up and down these hills in thoppas, a sort of baskets or
chairs slung on the back by a band over the forehead. In this way even
a heavy man would be carried up the steep mountain-side, and
generally by a woman.
Once, in later years, whilst in Mexico, near Crizaba, I was intensely
surprised to meet in the forest a string of Indios going to market and
using this identical thoppa; the similar cut of the hair across the
forehead, the blanket and dress, the physical features, even the peculiar
grunt emitted when carrying a weight, settled for me the long-disputed
question of the origin of the Aztecs. In Venezuela I saw exactly the
same type in Castro's Indian troops, as also in the Indian natives of
Peru.
[Illustration: NAGAS]
The Kassias were fond of games, such as tossing the caber, putting the
weight and throwing the hammer, apparently a tribal institution. The
Kookies and Nagas were restless, warlike and troublesome, and
addicted to head hunting. They periodically raided some tea-gardens to
secure lead for bullets, and incidentally heads as trophies. Several
planters had been thus massacred, and at outlying gardens there was

always this dread and danger. On one occasion an urgent message was
brought to me from such a garden, whose manager happened to be in
Calcutta. His head baboo begged me to come over and take charge, if
only to reassure the coolies, who had been running off into the jungle
on the report of a threatened Naga raid. On going over I found the
people tremendously excited, and most of them scared nearly to death.
My presence seemed to allay their fright, though if the savages had
come we could have done nothing, having only a few rifles in the place
and the coolies totally demoralized. Luckily Mr Naga did not appear.
The Looshais were a particularly warlike race, and gardens situated
near their territory were supplied by Government with stands of arms
and had stockades for defence in case of attack.
The tea-planter's life was to me a very enjoyable one. There was lots of
interesting work to be done, lots of sport and amusement, and lots of
good fellows. The life promised to be an ideal one. For its enjoyment,
however, indeed for its possibility, there is one essential--good health.
Unfortunately that, during the whole period at Scottpore, was not mine;
for the whole eighteen months fever had its grip on me; appetite was
quite gone, and I subsisted on nothing but eggs, milk and whisky. Six
months more would have done me up; but just at this time came the
announcement of my father's death. For this reason and on account of
my health I resigned the position and prepared to visit home, meaning
to return, however, to India.
I determined before going to look out a piece of land suitable for a
small plantation; and, after much consideration, decided to hunt for it in
Eastern Sylhet. So bidding adieu to friends I hied me down to the
selected district, secured a good man as guide (a man of intelligence
and intimate knowledge of the country was essential), and hired an
elephant to carry us and break a way through the jungle. In the course
of our search we came to a piece of seemingly swampy ground; the
high reeds which had once covered it had been eaten down and the
surface of the bog trodden on till it became caked, firm and almost
solid. Our path was across it, but on coming to the edge the elephant
refused to proceed. On the mahout urging him he