Some jeered: "Ho! Ho! you still have a soft corner in your heart for
your son-in-law." At last they agreed that he might absent himself
and he apparently turned back.

The others now put their burden into a boat and crossed the river. They
were laughing at the father-in-law's weakness, and as they approached
the ghat failed to observe a Government budgerow anchored there. It
was the Divisional Commissioner's. He was out on tour. The paharawalla
on deck checked them: "Do not make such a noise. The Saheb sleeps."

They answered rudely and the watchman retorted angrily. The dacoits
loudly abused the man.

The noise woke up the Commissioner, and he got out on deck with a
loaded revolver in his hand. The dacoits jumped from their dinghy and
ran up the bank. It was evident who they were and the Commissioner
fired, aiming at their legs. One man fell with a scream of pain but
scrambled to his feet and ran on.

Nothing was to be gained by chasing them through the still dark
jungle. The Commissioner turned his attention to the boat. "Search
it" he ordered his watchmen. His quick eyes detected legs protruding
from a mat, and he was not surprised when his chaprassi called:
"Saheb, a dead man lies in it."

The Deputy murmured feebly: "I am not dead. I live." The chaprassi
amended the first statement: "Saheb, he speaks." The Commissioner
jumped into the dinghi, cut the ropes that bound the unfortunate man,
and discovered the Deputy Magistrate. It did not take him long to
recover and pour his tale of woe into his Chief's ears.