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.
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