ou say is causing such havoc among the
hill-tribes."

"Patience, sahib. The Nats were justly roused to anger because the
deposed monarch was not afterwards taken to the water's edge riding upon
an elephant instead of in a bullock-carriage."

"Well, Hassan," said Denviers, "judging from our own experience the Nats
seem to be pretty sensible, I must say--but how do they affect the peace
of mind of the Kachyens?"

"Listen, sahib. High among the hills which may be seen stretching before
us lies a village in which many of the Kachyens dwell, their occupation
being sometimes that of tillers of the land, but more often consisting
in planning and carrying out raids upon other hill-men, or of descending
at times to the plains, and there looting the towns wherein dwell more
peaceable tribes. In all their forays they had been successful, for
whenever their trusty dahs or swords were drawn, those who opposed them
invariably obtained the worst of the encounter. So powerful did they
become that at last those dwelling in the plains--Shans, Karenns, and
Talaings, too--made no resistance against their attacks; and when they
saw the produce of their fields carried away, thought themselves happy
not to have been slain. The reason why the Kachyens became so successful
in all they undertook was that a powerful forest Nat placed them under
its protection, and hence they could not be harmed by their foes.

"Now it chanced that the King was in great danger through following the
advice of his impetuous ministers, whereupon he summoned the Kachyens to
his assistance--for their fame as warriors had reached his ears long
before. But they, confident of securing their own safety whatever
happened to the monarch, refused to obey his command to march against
the Burman foes. The consequence was that when the indignity which I
have mentioned was offered to the deposed monarch, the Nats throughout
Burmah were furious with that one who ruled the village in which the
Kachyens dwelt, and they sent some of their number to destroy it. The
latter, however, appeased them by making a grim promise, which has been
only too faithfully kept.

"A few days afterwards a hill-man, who was clearing a part of the land
on the woody slope of the height, _saw the Nat_, which had never before
been visible, and, terrified at the strange form which it had assumed,
he ran hastily to the rest of the tribe, and, gathering them together,
held a consultation as to what should