o the justice of
our claim," the head man said humbly, as he prepared to mount again.

"According to your point of view, there is no doubt about it, Childee;
but then there is equally no doubt the other way, according to the
statements they put forward. But that is generally the way in all these
land disputes. For good hard swearing your Hindoo cultivator can be
matched against the world. Unfortunately there is nothing either in your
grant or in your neighbors' that specifies unmistakably which of these
ancient ditches is the one referred to. My present impression is that it
is essentially a case for a compromise, but you know the final decision
does not rest on me. I shall be out here again next week, and I shall
write to the Talookdar to meet me here, and we will go over the ground
together again, and see if we cannot arrange some line that will be fair
to both parties. If we can do that, the matter would be settled without
expense and trouble; whereas, if it goes up to Lucknow it may all have
to be gone into again; and if the decision is given against you, and as
far as I can see it is just as likely to be one way as another, it will
be a serious thing for the village."

"We are in my lord's hands," the native said; "he is the protector of
the poor, and will do us justice."

"I will do you justice, Childee, but I must do justice to the other side
too. Of course, neither of you will be satisfied, but that cannot be
helped."

His perfect knowledge of their language, the pains he took to sift all
matters brought before him to the bottom, had rendered the young officer
very popular among the natives. They knew they could get justice from
him direct. There was no necessity to bribe underlings: he had the
knack of extracting the truth from the mass of lying evidence always
forthcoming in native cases; and even the defeated party admired the
manner in which the fabric of falsehood was pulled to pieces. But the
main reason of his popularity was his sympathy, the real interest which
he showed in their cases, and the patience with which he listened to
their stories.

Bathurst himself, as he rode homewards, was still thinking of the
case. Of course there had been lying on both sides; but to that he was
accustomed. It was a question of importance--of greater importance, no
doubt, to the villagers than to their opponent, but still important
to him--for this tract of land was a valuable one, and of considerable
extent, and t