Ill THE BOON AND TERM JUNGLES 21 



eggs inside it, all undamaged, and they filled a 

 large basket. 



I feared at first we should get little sport, as 

 the local men did not help much, but one day a 

 gentleman from a neighbouring district (whom 

 we afterwards named " Jones " as we could not 

 pronounce his name) presented himself and 

 promised to show us everything. I gave him a 

 trial, and he certainly knew the ways of game, 

 and got me all the chances I could wish. 



He was naturally not very popular with the 

 local shikaris whom he had displaced. He 

 amused us with his overbearing patronage of 

 manner, and his costume of khaki coat, jodhpur 

 trousers made of grey serge, black " pill-box " 

 forage cap, and a pair of patent leather dancing 

 pumps, in which he walked all day. 



I shot three chital over 35 inches and then held 

 my hand. 



Of panther I shot one, and let another walk 

 under my tree before I was ready, and I never 

 saw him again, though he worked up close in the 

 dusk, for I saw the bushes shaking. 



A nice panther killed a goat one day and hid 

 it twelve feet up in the branches of a tree. I took 

 post in another tree and deservedly saw nothing, 

 while the panther doubtless watched from below 

 and laughed. The kill being high up, it was 

 certain that the panther's eyes would be looking 

 upwards, and my machan should therefore have 

 been on the ground in a bush or, better, in a hole. 



