Atirregularintervalssuppliesoffood，Iwastold，weredroppeddownfromthelandsideintotheamphitheatre，andtheinhabitantsfoughtforthemlikewildbeastsWhenamanfelthisdeathcomingonheretreatedtohislairanddiedthereThebodywassometimesdraggedoutoftheholeandthrownontothesand，orallowedtorotwhereitlayThephrase“thrownontothesand“caughtmyattention，andI
askedGungaDasswhetherthissortofthingwasnotlikelytobreedapestilence。
“That。”saidhewithanotherofhiswheezychuckles，“youmayseeforyourselfsubsequentlyYouwillhavemuchtimetomakeobservations。”
Whereat，tohisgreatdelight，Iwincedoncemoreandhastilycontinuedtheconversation：-“Andhowdoyouliveherefromdaytoday？Whatdoyoudo？”Thequestionelicitedexactlythesameanswerasbeforecoupledwiththeinformationthat“thisplaceislikeyourEuropeanheaven；thereisneithermarryingnorgivinginmarriage。”
GungaDasshadbeeneducatedataMissionSchool，and，ashehimselfadmitted，hadheonlychangedhisreligion’~likeawiseman。”mighthaveavoidedthelivinggravewhichwasnowhisportionButaslongasIwaswithhimIfancyhewashappy。
HerewasaSahib，arepresentativeofthedominantrace，helplessasachildandcompletelyatthemercyofhisnativeneighborsInadeliberatelazywayhesethimselftotorturemeasaschoolboywoulddevotearapturoushalf-hourtowatchingtheagoniesofanimpaledbeetle，orasaferretinablindburrowmightgluehimselfcomfortablytotheneckofarabbitTheburdenofhisconversationwasthattherewasnoescape’ofnokindwhatever。”
andthatIshouldstayheretillIdiedandwas“thrownontothesand。”IfitwerepossibletoforejudgetheconversationoftheDamnedontheadventofanewsoulintheirabode，IshouldsaythattheywouldspeakasGungaDassdidtomethroughoutthatlongafternoonIwaspowerlesstoprotestoranswer；allmyenergiesbeingdevotedtoastruggleagainsttheinexplicableterrorthatthreatenedtooverwhelmmeagainandagainIcancomparethefeelingtonothingexceptthestrugglesofamanagainsttheoverpoweringnauseaoftheChannelpassage-onlymyagonywasofthespiritandinfinitelymoreterrible。
Asthedayworeon，theinhabitantsbegantoappearinfullstrengthtocatchtheraysoftheafternoonsun，whichwerenowslopinginatthemouthofthecraterTheyassembledinlittleknots，andtalkedamongthemselveswithouteventhrowingaglanceinmydirectionAboutfouro’clock，asfarasIcouldjudgeGungaDassroseanddivedintohislairforamoment，emergingwithalivecrowinhishandsThewretchedbirdwasinamostdraggledanddeplorablecondition，butseemedtobeinnowayafraidofitsmaster，Advancingcautiouslytotheriverfront，GungaDasssteppedfromtussocktotussockuntilhehadreachedasmoothpatchofsanddirectlyinthelineoftheboat’sfireTheoccupantsoftheboattooknonoticeHerehestopped，and，withacoupleofdexterousturnsofthewrist，peggedthebirdonitsbackwithoutstretchedwingsAswasonlynatural，thecrowbegantoshriekatonceandbeattheairwithitsclawsInafewsecondstheclamorhadattractedtheattentionofabevyofwildcrowsonashoalafewhundredyardsaway，wheretheywerediscussingsomethingthatlookedlikeacorpseHalfadozencrowsflewoveratoncetoseewhatwasgoingon，andalso，asitproved，toattackthepinionedbirdGungaDass，whohadlaindownonatussock，motionedtometobequiet，thoughIfancythiswasUneedlessprecautionInamoment，andbeforeIcouldseehowithappened，awildcrow，whohadgrappledwiththeshriekingandhelplessbird，wasentangledinthelatter’sclaws，swiftlydisengagedbyGungaDass，andpeggeddownbesideitscompanioninadversityCuriosity，itseemed，overpoweredtherestoftheflock，andalmostbeforeGungaDassandIhadtimetowithdrawtothetussock，twomorecaptiveswerestrugglingintheupturnedclawsofthedecoysSothechase-ifI
cangiveitsodignifiedaname-continueduntilGungaDasshadcapturedsevencrowsFiveofthemhethrottledatonce，reservingtwoforfurtheroperationsanotherdayIwasagooddealimpressedbythis，tome，novelmethodofsecuringfood，andcomplimentedGungaDassonhisskill。
“Itisnothingtodo。”saidhe“Tomorrowyoumustdoitforme。
YouarestrongerthanIam。”
ThiscalmassumptionofsuperiorityUpsetmenotalittle，andI
answeredperemptorily；~“Indeed，youoldruffian！WhatdoyouthinkIhavegivenyoumoneyfor？”
“Verywell。”wastheunmovedreply“Perhapsnotto-morrow，northedayafter，norsubsequently；butintheend，andformanyyears，youwillcatchcrowsandeatcrows，andyouwillthankyourEuropeanGodthatyouhavecrowstocatchandeat。”
Icouldhavecheerfullystrangledhimforthis；butjudgeditbestunderthecircumstancestosmothermyresentmentAnhourlaterIwaseatingoneofthecrows；and，asGungaDasshadsaid，thankingmyGodthatIhadacrowtoeatNeveraslongasIliveshallIforgetthateveningmealThewholepopulationweresquattingonthehardsandplatformoppositetheirdens，huddledovertinyfiresofrefuseanddriedrushesDeath，havingoncelaidhishanduponthesemenandforbornetostrike，seemedtostandalooffromthemnow；formostofourcompanywereoldmen，bentandwornandtwistedwithyears，andwomenagedtoallappearanceastheFatesthemselvesTheysattogetherinknotsandtalked-Godonlyknowswhattheyfoundtodiscuss-inlowequabletones，curiouslyincontrasttothestridentbabblewithwhichnativesareaccustomedtomakedayhideousNowandthenanaccessofthatsuddenfurywhichhadpossessedmeinthemorningwouldlayholdonamanorwoman；andwithyellsandimprecationsthesuffererwouldattackthesteepslopeuntil，baffledandbleeding，hefellbackontheplatformincapableofmovingalimbTheotherswouldneverevenraisetheireyeswhenthishappened，asmentoowellawareofthefutilityoftheirfellows’attemptsandweariedwiththeiruselessrepetitionIsawfoursuchoutburstsinthecourseoftheevening。
GungaDasstookaneminentlybusiness-likeviewofmysituation，andwhileweweredining-Icanaffordtolaughattherecollectionnow，butitwaspainfulenoughatthetime-
propoundedthetermsonwhichhewouldconsentto“do“forme。
Myninerupeeseightannas，heargued，attherateofthreeannasaday，wouldprovidemewithfoodforfifty-onedays，oraboutsevenweeks；thatistosay，hewouldbewillingtocaterformeforthatlengthoftimeAttheendofitIwastolookaftermyselfForafurtherconsideration-videlicetmyboots-hewouldbewillingtoallowmetooccupythedennexttohisown，andwouldsupplymewithasmuchdriedgrassforbeddingashecouldspare。
“Verywell，GungaDass。”Ireplied；“tothefirsttermsIcheerfullyagree，but，asthereisnothingonearthtopreventmykillingyouasyousithereandtakingeverythingthatyouhave“Ithoughtofthetwoinvaluablecrowsatthetime，“IflatlyrefusetogiveyoumybootsandshalltakewhicheverdenIplease。”
Thestrokewasaboldone，andIwasgladwhenIsawthatithadsucceededGungaDasschangedhistoneimmediately，anddisavowedallintentionofaskingformybootsAtthetimeitdidnotstrikemeasatallstrangethatI，aCivilEngineer，amanofthirteenyears’standingintheService，and，Itrust，anaverageEnglishman，shouldthuscalmlythreatenmurderandviolenceagainstthemanwhohad，foraconsiderationitistrue，takenmeunderhiswingIhadlefttheworld，itseemed，forcenturiesIwasascertainthenasIamnowofmyownexistence，thatintheaccursedsettlementtherewasnolawsavethatofthestrongest；
thatthelivingdeadmenhadthrownbehindthemeverycanonoftheworldwhichhadcastthemout；andthatIhadtodependformyownlifeonmystrengthandvigilancealoneThecrewoftheill-fatedMignonettearetheonlymenwhowouldunderstandmyframeofmind“Atpresent。”Iarguedtomyself，“IamstrongandamatchforsixofthesewretchesItisimperativelynecessarythatIshould，formyownsake，keepbothhealthandstrengthuntilthehourofmyreleasecomes-ifiteverdoes。”
Fortifiedwiththeseresolutions，IateanddrankasmuchasIcould，andmadeGungaDassunderstandthatIintendedtobehismaster，andthattheleastsignofinsubordinationonhispartwouldbevisitedwiththeonlypunishmentIhaditinmypowertoinflict-suddenandviolentdeathShortlyafterthisIwenttobed。
Thatistosay，GungaDassgavemeadoublearmfulofdriedbentswhichIthrustdownthemouthofthelairtotherightofhis，andfollowedmyself，feetforemost；theholerunningaboutninefeetintothesandwithaslightdownwardinclination，andbeingneatlyshoredwithtimbersFrommyden，whichfacedtheriver-front，I
wasabletowatchthewatersoftheSutlejflowingpastunderthelightofayoungmoonandcomposemyselftosleepasbestI
might。
ThehorrorsofthatnightIshallneverforgetMydenwasnearlyasnarrowasacoffin，andthesideshadbeenwornsmoothandgreasybythecontactofinnumerablenakedbodies，addedtowhichitsmelledabominablySleepwasaltogetheroutofquestiontooneinmyexcitedframeofmindAsthenightworeon，itseemedthattheentireamphitheatrewasfilledwithlegionsofuncleandevilsthat，troopingupfromtheshoalsbelow，mockedtheunfortunatesintheirlairs。
PersonallyIamnotofanimaginativetemperament，-veryfewEngineersare，-butonthatoccasionIwasascompletelyprostratedwithnervousterrorasanywomanAfterhalfanhourorso，however，IwasableoncemoretocalmlyreviewmychancesofescapeAnyexitbythesteepsandwallswas，ofcourse，impracticableIhadbeenthoroughlyconvincedofthissometimebeforeItwaspossible，justpossible，thatImight，intheuncertainmoonlight，safelyrunthegauntletoftherifleshotsTheplacewassofullofterrorformethatIwaspreparedtoundergoanyriskinleavingitImaginemydelight，then，whenaftercreepingstealthilytotheriver-frontIfoundthattheinfernalboatwasnotthereMyfreedomlaybeforemeinthenextfewsteps！
Bywalkingouttothefirstshallowpoolthatlayatthefootoftheprojectinglefthornofthehorseshoe，Icouldwadeacross，turntheflankofthecrater，andmakemywayinlandWithoutamoment’shesitationImarchedbrisklypastthetussockswhereGungaDasshadsnaredthecrows，andoutinthedirectionofthesmoothwhitesandbeyondMyfirststepfromthetuftsofdriedgrassshowedmehowutterlyfutilewasanyhopeofescape；for，asIputmyfootdown，Ifeltanindescribabledrawing，suckingmotionofthesandbelowAnothermomentandmylegwasswallowedupnearlytothekneeInthemoonlightthewholesurfaceofthesandseemedtobeshakenwithdevilishdelightatmydisappointmentIstruggledclear，sweatingwithterrorandexertion，backtothetussocksbehindmeandfellonmyface。
Myonlymeansofescapefromthesemicirclewasprotectedwithaquicksand！
HowlongIlayIhavenotthefaintestidea；butIwasrousedatlastbythemalevolentchuckleofGungaDassatmyear“Iwouldadviseyou，ProtectorofthePoor“theruffianwasspeakingEnglish“toreturntoyourhouseItisunhealthytoliedownhere。
Moreover，whentheboatreturns，youwillmostcertainlyberifledat。”Hestoodovermeinthedimlightofthedawn，chucklingandlaughingtohimselfSuppressingmyfirstimpulsetocatchthemanbytheneckandthrowhimontothequicksand，Irosesullenlyandfollowedhimtotheplatformbelowtheburrows。
Suddenly，andfutilleyasIthoughtwhileIspoke，Iasked-“GungaDass，whatisthegoodoftheboatifIcan’tgetoutanyhow？”I
recollectthateveninmydeepesttroubleIhadbeenspeculatingvaguelyonthewasteofam-munitioninguardinganalreadywellprotectedforeshore。
GungaDasslaughedagainandmadeanswer：-“Theyhavetheboatonlyir，daytimeItisforthereasonthatthereisawayIhopeweshallhavethepleasureofyourcompanyformuchlongertimeItisapleasantspotwhenyouhavebeenheresomeyearsandeatenroastcrowlongenough。”
Istaggered，numbedandhelpless，towardthefetidburrowallottedtome，andfellasleepAnhourorsolaterIwasawakenedbyapiercingscream-theshrill，high-pitchedscreamofahorseinpain。
ThosewhohaveonceheardthatwillneverforgetthesoundI
foundsomelittledifficultyinscramblingoutoftheburrowWhenIwasintheopen，IsawPornic，mypooroldPornic，lyingdeadonthesandysoilHowtheyhadkilledhimIcannotguessGungaDassexplainedthathorsewasbetterthancrow，and“greatestgoodofgreatestnumberispoliticalmaximWearenowRepublic，MisterJukes，andyouareentitledtoafairshareofthebeastIfyoulike，wewillpassavoteofthanksShallIpropose？”