he camp. Sometimes also the women of a
gang have been known to throw off all their clothing and appear in a
perfect state of nudity, declaring they would charge the police with
violating their modesty. Men of this tribe are expert cattle-lifters,
but confine themselves chiefly to buffaloes, which they steal while out
grazing and very dexterously disguise by trimming the horns and firing,
so as to avoid recognition by their rightful owners. To steal goats
and sheep is also one of their favourite occupations, and they will
either carry the animals off from their pens at night or kill them
while out grazing, in the following manner: having marked a sheep or
goat which is feeding farthest away from the flock, the thief awaits
his opportunity till the shepherd's back is turned, when the animal is
quickly captured. Placing his foot on the back of the neck near the
head, and seizing it under the chin with his right hand, the thief
breaks the animal's neck by a sudden jerk; he then throws the body
into a bush or in some dip in the ground to hide it, and walks away,
watching from a distance. The shepherd, ignorant of the loss of one
of his animals, goes on leisurely driving his flock before him, and
when he is well out of sight the Mang-Garori removes the captured
carcase to his encampment. Great care is taken that the skin, horns
and hoofs should be immediately burnt so as to avoid detection. Their
ostensible occupation is to trade in barren half-starved buffaloes
and buffalo calves, or in country ponies. They also purchase from
Gaoli herdsmen barren buffaloes, which they profess to be able to make
fertile; if successful they return them for double the purchase-money,
but if not, having obtained if possible some earnest-money, they
abscond and sell the animals at a distance. [190] Like the Bhamtas,
the Mang-Garoris, Major Gunthorpe states, make it a rule not to give
a girl in marriage until the intended husband has proved himself
an efficient thief. Mr. Gayer [191] writes as follows of the caste:
"I do not think Major Gunthorpe lays sufficient emphasis on the part
taken by the women in crimes, for they apparently do by far the major
part of the thieving, Sherring says the men never commit house-breaking
and very seldom rob on the highway: he calls them 'wanderers, showmen,
jugglers and conjurors,' and describes them as robbers who get their
information by performing before the houses of rich bankers and
others. Mang-Garori [192]