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The camp is in a small hollow in the woods amongst alders hanging with yellow catkins. Our hut has bamboo house-horns and an archway of plantains hung with poinsettias stands before the door. More Sema interpreters including Hevetu were waiting here. |
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The afternoon ended with a free fight. The interpreters had just settled a civil dispute concerning the repayment of marriage expenses, when the man who had lost the case rushed at his opponent and bit off his necklace. This is a great insult and the crowd of onlookers rose up and showed their disapproval. Bill heard the noise and hurried out to intervene. He silenced the mob and fined the man Rs10 for brawling. He sullenly refused to pay it, however, so Bill called up a few Gurkhas, who attached a rope to him and led him off to their camp. He is now tied up underneath a tree and is cooling off. Within ten minutes his fellow villagers had brought the money, but he is being kept there for an hour. |
