most of the muggers in the camp were of the smash-and-grab type ; easy to avoid and after a few failed experiments with making herself appear distasteful , ( which had turned out to be very attractive to the distasteful types ) , nastier than her neighbors , ( almost successful there , thou applied treachery was not skills with arms ) and other bandits activities had left her with a permanent abhorrence for potatoes , dung fires and sad , burly men with broken features .