Page 314 - INDIANNAVYV1

282 HISTORY OF THE INDIAN NAVY.

His release was effected through the agency of the British
Political officer, but his constitution received so severe a shock
from the cruel treatment to which he had been subjected during
was forced to remount my horse and gallop ofT with the gang, who took me into
a large jungle called tlie Geer, where I was kept prisoner on the top of a moun-
tain for two moutlis and seventeen days. During the whole of this time, two
armed men with swords drawn, kept guard over me. I laid amongst the rocks,
drenched with rain night and day, with the exception of two niglits, when the
gang forced me to accompany them, and we stopped in a friendly village. In
this expedition I was occasionally allowed to ride, but always surrounded by a
strong band, that made all attempt at escape impossible. In one village, where
the people favoured Bawawalla, the women took my part, and upbraided him and
his men for my cruel treatment. Towards unfriendly villages the custom of the
gang was to ride up to the gates and chop off the heads of little boys at play,
and then go off rejoicing and laugliing at tlieir cursed exploits. When they
returned to the encampment, after a day's murdering foray, the young Kattee:?
used to boast how many men they had killed, and one day I heard the old fellows
questioning them rather particularly, whether or not they were sure they had
killed then- victims. ' Yes,' they said ; ' they had seen their spears through
them, and were certain they were dead.' 'Ah!' remarked an old Kattee, ' a
human being is worse to kill than any other animal ; never be sure they
are dead till you see the body on one side of the road and the head on the
other.'
"At times the chief, Bawawalla, in a state of stupor from opium, would come
and sit by my side, and holding his dagger over me, ask how many stabs it
would take to kill me. I said I thought one would do, and I hoped he would
put me out of my misery. ' I suppose you think,' he would answer, ' that I won't
kill you ; I have killed as many human beings as ever fisherman killed fish, and I
should think nothing of putting an end to you ; but I shall keep you awhile yet,
till I see if your Government will get me back my property, if so 1 will let you
off.'
" When not out plundering, the gang slept most of the day. At night the
halter of each horse was tied to its master's arm ; when the animals heard voices
they tugged, and the men were up in an instant. Their meals consisted of
bajree cakes with chillies and milk, when it could be got. I used to have the
same. Once or twice my servant was allowed to come to me, and bi'ought the
rare treat of some curry and a bottle of claret from Captain Ballantine. The
wine Bawawalla seized on at once, thinking it was daroo or spirits, but on tasting
the liquor, he clianged his mind, and spitting it out declared it was poison, sent
no doubt on purpose to kill him. By the way of test I was ordered to drhik it,
which I did with very great pleasure, and finding me none the worse, he gave up
his idea of poison. Among his people there were two young men who showed
some feeling for me. One of tliese was shot in a pillaging raid, shortly before my
release. They used to try and cheer me up by telling me I should be set free.
Occasionally, when opportunity oHered, they would inform me how many people
they liad killed, and tlie method they pursued when rich travellers refused to
pay the sum demanded. This was to tie the poor wretches by their legs to a
beam across a well, with their heads touching tlie water, and then to saw away at
the rope until the tortured victims agreed to their demands, then the Kattees
would haul them up, get fiom them a lioondee, or bill on some agent, and keep
them jirisoners till this was paid.
'" Sometimes they told me of their master's intention to murder me, which was
not pleasant. He and his men had many disputes about me, just as his hopes or
fears of the consequence of my imprisonment prevailed. I can never forget one
stormy night they were all sitting round a great fire, and I lay behind them. Lions
and wild beasts roared around us, but did not prevent me overhearing a debate
upon the subject of wliat should be done with me. The men complained that
they had been two months in the jungle on my account, their families were in the
villages, very badly off for food, and that they would stay no longer. Their
chief replied, ' Let us kill him. and flee to some other part of tlie country.' To
this they objected, that the English would send troops and take their families