The next in importance among Indian domestic servants is the _khitmutghar_ or table-attendant. It need hardly be mentioned that he is invariably of the Mohammedan religion; and great care is necessary in choosing this particular servant, for among their ranks are many low, dissipated characters. A single glance at one of these latter will generally suffice to make one aware of the fact. Old graybeards, though of course less active than younger followers of the Prophet, yet often prove to be better servants in the long-run. When questioned, these gentry almost invariably deny all knowledge of the English language; but, generally speaking, the Bengal _khitmutghar_, as he stands with folded arms and imperturbable countenance at the dinner-table, readily follows and fully comprehends the topics of conversation carried on by his English masters. The duties of the _khitmutghar_ commence at daylight, when he puts in an appearance bearing the morning cup of tea. Unless otherwise ordered, he is only expected to be present, properly dressed, at each meal. One of his most important duties is to be able to cook fairly well when called upon to do so, more especially when his master may move into camp either on the march or on a shooting expedition. Then he is expected to show his powers in the culinary art; and, generally speaking, Mohammedan cooks acquit themselves admirably in this respect. They are especially clever at making omelettes, soufflets, and such-like. It may be here mentioned, however, by way of warning to the uninitiated in such matters, that the native method of preparing a meal is not always too nice to our ideas, so that it is well to avoid visiting the cooking-tent immediately before dinner, or not improbably you will there see something or other going on not calculated to give one an appetite. Next in our list comes the _bheestie_ or water-carrier, also of the Mohammedan religion; but altogether a less troublesome mortal to deal with. Generally speaking, the Bengal _bheestie_ is a good, willing, hard-working servant, seldom giving trouble or requiring reproof. His chief duties are to supply the house and stables with fresh water from the best well in the neighbourhood. It is the special duty of the _bheestie_ to keep the _chatties_ or earthen jars of the bathroom filled with water. Where a garden is kept up—and in hot climates there is nothing so refreshing to the eye as a few flowers and bright-green shrubs around the house—it is the duty of the _bheestie_ to assist the native gardener in watering the plants. He also, morning and evening, sprinkles with water the flooring of the verandas, footpaths, and dusty roads in the vicinity of his master’s abode. This has the effect of laying the dust and cooling the air—no slight boon to exhausted Europeans during the terrible months of April and May, just before the first rainfall.