the beck and call of the chief men of the place, and more especially
of the _Patel_, but they are independent in their bearing, and obey
cheerfully without cringing. Some of their duties may sound unsavoury.
As, for instance, they are responsible for the removal of a dead
carcase found within the village boundary. But if it is the body of an
animal fit for food, such as a buffalo, sheep, or goat, they feast
upon it themselves, quite regardless of what disease it may have died
of.

A buffalo belonging to the Mission died from snake-bite, as it was
supposed, though that sometimes is only another name for wilful
poisoning. The disposal of its immense carcase seemed a perplexity.
But just as we were considering this point, we saw the buffalo
travelling away at a rapid pace on the shoulders of the village
Mahars, who took it as their natural perquisite, and did not think it
necessary to wait for leave. The horns, hoofs, skin, and bones are
marketable commodities, so that, besides the feast, they often make a
good thing out of agricultural tragedies.

The same class of men are responsible for any stray burials, which are
not at all uncommon in a country where there are many homeless
wanderers, some of whom, when weary and ill, just lie down by the
roadside and die. The Mahars of the nearest village bury the nameless
corpse. The clothes of the dead man are sufficient recompense for
hasty interment in a shallow grave, and the jackals the next night
probably discover, and make short work of, the corpse. I have seen the
body of some such poor wanderer, with scarcely a rag upon it, slung
upon a pole and carried like a dead dog by a couple of Mahars along
the high-road to a place of burial.

Many low-caste men have, of late years, grown prosperous and acquired
land of their own. In the neighbourhood of cities some of them get
well-paid posts as night-watchmen, and as they are often frugal
people, they gradually put by a good deal of money. The servants of
Europeans are also largely drawn from this class, and a capable
servant is able to secure wages which, together with pickings in the
shape of tips and perquisites, enable him to save. The low-caste
people of a village often present a brilliant appearance when they
turn out in holiday attire on some festal day, and the gold ornaments
of the women sufficiently indicate their prosperous condition. That
they have their own quarter, outside the village proper, does not
cause them