expressed his great sorrow that his operations should
have caused us annoyance. But the siege continued with unabated
vigour. At last the actual bit of rock which contained the charge rose
out of the well to a great height at the time of the explosion, and
then half buried itself in the ground immediately behind the
schoolmaster's house. If it had chanced to fall on anybody it would
have killed him on the spot. The display of this piece of rock had the
desired effect, and the sappers and miners were withdrawn. The work
was continued in more homely fashion with ordinary blasting powder.
With this the process is slower, but it is effective, and does not
devastate the surrounding neighbourhood.

None, however, of Shunker's efforts to procure water prospered, in
spite of his persevering attempts, which he carried to the extent of
rashness. He went on sinking his well until he had reached a great
depth, but there were no more signs of water at the end than there
were at the beginning, and he finally abandoned the search.

CHAPTER XXXVIII

GIFTS IN INDIA

The purchase of land. A plot for a cemetery; the Patel gives
one. The Registrar's Court. The gift in jeopardy. Deed
successfully executed. The Patel suffers persecution.
Consecration of the cemetery. The Patel's chair. Hindus and
gifts. Demand for tips. Hindu boys dissatisfied.

Buying land in India is generally a troublesome business, and
difficulties are multiplied when it is required for missionary
purposes, because although the owner may be willing to sell, he is
often coerced not to part with his land by his co-religionists, who,
as they are not going to profit by the transaction, can afford to
adopt a high hand concerning it.

It took some years to secure a plot of ground for the burial of
Christians in the village of Yerandawana. A cemetery is not welcomed
as a near neighbour in any part of the world, and in India
particularly there are many additional prejudices which have to be
taken into account. Amongst these, there is a vague idea that it is
unlucky to sell land for such an object, and that it may result in the
early death of the vendor, or some member of his family.

It has been explained that this village is _inam_ to a mosque in Poona
City. Hence Government has only the same sort of control over village
affairs that it has over those of a native state, and there is no
Government land in the place. But the Collector gav