s_, i.e.
charms or incantations, have been muttered, the Ojah, who has meanwhile
narrowly scrutinized each countenance, gives each of the suspected
individuals a small quantity of dry rice to chew. If the thief be
present, his superstitious fears are at work, and his conscience
accuses him. He sees some terrible retribution for him in all these
_muntras_, and his heart becomes like water within him, his tongue gets
dry, his salivary glands refuse to act; the innocent munch away at
their rice contentedly, but the guilty wretch feels as if he had ashes
in his mouth. At a given signal all spit out their rice, and he whose
rice comes out, chewed indeed, but dry as summer dust, is adjudged the
thief. This ordeal is called _chowl chipao_, and is rarely
unsuccessful. I have known several cases in my own experience in which
a thief has been thus discovered.

The _bhoots_, or ghosts, are popularly supposed to have favourite
haunts, generally in some specially selected tree; the _neem_ tree is
supposed to be the most patronised. The most intelligent natives share
this belief with the poorest and most ignorant; they fancy the ghosts
throw stones at them, cast evil influences over them, lure them into
quicksands, and play other devilish tricks and cantrips. Some roads are
quite shunned and deserted at night, for no other reason than that a
ghost is supposed to haunt the place. The most tempting bribe would not
make a native walk alone over that road after sunset.

Besides the witchfinder, another important village functionary who
relies much on muntras and charms, is the _Huddick_, or cow doctor. He
is the only veterinary surgeon of the native when his cow or bullock
dislocates or breaks a limb, or falls ill. The Huddick passes his hands
over the affected part, and mutters his _muntras_, which have most
probably descended to him from his father. Usually knowing a little of
the anatomical structure of the animal, he may be able to reduce a
dislocation, or roughly to set a fracture; but if the ailment be
internal, a draught of mustard oil, or some pounded spices and
turmeric, or neem leaves administered along with the _muntra_, are
supposed to be all that human skill and science can do.

The natives are cruel to animals. Half-starved bullocks are shamefully
overworked. When blows fail to make the ill-starred brute move, they
give a twist and wrench to the tail, which must cause the animal
exquisite torture, and unless the hapless