Men of Bathurst's type, who go to the bottom of
things, protest against what they consider unfair decisions, and
send in memorandums showing that their superiors are hopelessly
ignorant and idiotically wrong, are always cordially disliked.
Still, they generally work their way to the front in the long run.
Well, I must be off."
Bathurst rode to Narkeet without drawing rein. His horse at times
slackened its pace on its own accord, but an almost mechanical motion
from its rider's heel soon started it off again at the rapid pace
at which its rider ordinarily traveled. From the time he left
Deennugghur to his arrival at Narkeet no thought of the dreaded
man eater entered Bathurst's mind. He was deeply meditating on
a memorandum he was about to draw up, respecting a decision that
had been arrived at in a case between a Talookdar in his district
and the Government, and in which, as it appeared to him, a wholly
erroneous and unjust view had been taken as to the merits of the
case; and he only roused himself when the horse broke into a walk
as it entered the village. Two or three of the head men, with many
bows and salutations of respect, came out to receive him.
"My lord sahib has seen nothing of the tiger?" the head man said;
"our hearts were melted with fear, for the evil beast was heard
roaring in the jungle not far from the road early this morning."
"I never gave it a thought, one way or the other," Bathurst said,
as he dismounted.
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