uares, either by scraping boundaries in the dust, which lies thick
in the streets of a native city; or else at night by pouring water
along the lines, which makes a very conspicuous mark on the dusty
surface in the vivid moonlight of the East. This childish game is
played with great delight by people whom you might think were much too
old for such amusement, and it nearly always forms part of the
programme of any village festival.

CHAPTER XX

INDIAN WRESTLERS

Wrestling. Village gymnasiums. Wrestling contests. The
prizes. Rustic festivals. Modern novelties. Mineral waters.
Ice cream. Incandescent lights. The music. Absence of
merriment. The dull crowd. Return of the victor. National
characteristics apparent when playing games.

Wrestling is the chief indigenous athletic exercise of India. Nearly
every village has its band of wrestlers and its gymnasium. The latter
is often a substantial house as village houses go, much decorated with
wall paintings inside and out. Besides the wrestling-pit, with its
thick layer of soft earth, it often contains Indian clubs, large
stones with which the young men exercise their muscles after the
manner of dumb-bells, the post round which they twist and twirl to
develop their arms and legs, and the drums which they beat in the
temple and elsewhere on festivals.

Every village of importance has its annual wrestling day, to which
people come from many miles round. Prizes are given from a fund
subscribed by the villagers. It is a point of honour that no one
competes in his own village, so that all the prizes may go to
outsiders. The wrestling is conducted with much decorum, in accordance
with exact and well-recognised rules. The decision of the referee
appears to be nearly always accepted without dispute; or if ever there
is a difference of opinion, the arbitration of one or two of the
elders amongst the villagers is generally sufficient. If arbitration
fails, a free fight is the only way of settling the matter; but such
incidents are rare.

The prize is generally a turban, and however many turbans a man
already possesses he likes to add to their number. Sometimes there is
a good deal of very audible grumbling if the quality of the turban is
thought to be defective. Now and then important contests between
champions in the world of wrestlers are held in cities like Poona, and
there is a charge for admission, and the prizes are of value, gold and
silve