e averted
the necessity of one of the band being really devoured. In somewhat
analogous fashion the Gonds and Baigas placate or drive away a tiger
who has killed a man in order to prevent him from obtaining further
victims. Some similar idea apparently underlay the omen of the dog
running away with food. Perhaps the portent of hearing the kite scream
on a tree also meant that he looked on them with a prescient eye as
a future meal. On the other hand, meeting a corpse and seeing a snake
are commonly considered to be lucky omens, and their inclusion in this
list is curious. [615] The passage continues: "Among our favourable
omens are meeting a woman selling milk; or a person carrying a basket
of grain or a bag of money; or if we see a calf sucking its mother,
or meet a person with a vessel of water, or a marriage procession;
or if any person finds a rupee that he has lost; or we meet a bearer
carrying fish or a pig or a blue-jay; if any of these occur near our
camp on the day we contemplate a dacoity, we proceed forthwith to
commit it and consider that these signs assure us a good booty. If
a Fakir begs from us while we are on our way to the place of dacoity
we cannot give him anything." Another Sansia said: "We think it very
favourable if, when on the way to commit a dacoity we hear or see
the jackal; it is as good as gold and silver to us; also if we hear
the bray of the ass in a village we consider it to be lucky."

7. Ordeals

The following is a description given by a Sansia of their ordeals:
[616] If a Jemadar suspects a Sipahi of secreting plunder a _panchayat_
is assembled, [617] the members of which receive five rupees from
both parties. Seven pipal [618] leaves are laid upon his hand and
bound round with thread, and upon these a heated iron _tawa_ or plate
is set; he is then ordered to walk seven paces and put the plate
down upon seven thorns; should he be able to do so he is pronounced
innocent, but if he is burnt by the plate and throws it down he is
considered guilty. Another ordeal is by fixing arrows, two of which
are shot off at once from one bow, one in the name of Bhagwan (god),
and the other in the name of the _panchayat_; the place being on the
bank of the river. The arrow that flies the farthest is stuck upright
into the ground; upon which a man carrying a long bamboo walks up to
his breast in the water and the suspected person is desired to join
him. One of the _panchayat_ then claps his hands