to sift the truth from their confused and often contradictory evidence.
Then he spent two hours going over the ground and endeavoring to
satisfy himself which of the two ditches was the one named in the
village records. He had two days before taken equal pains in sifting
the evidence on the other side.

"I trust that my lord sees there can be no doubt as to the justice
of our claim," the head man said humbly, as he prepared to mount
again.

"According to your point of view, there is no doubt about it, Childee;
but then there is equally no doubt the other way, according to the
statements they put forward. 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."