BEATING FOR BEAR IN CHOTA NAGPUR 31 



thing that appals one, but the magnitude of the scale on 

 which the arrangements are made. And yet it is simple 

 enough compared to what an outing on the same scale 

 would entail at home. In the East many of the wheels 

 require little oil. We ourselves and our servants live a 

 nomadic life for at least half the year, and therefore the 

 commissariat presents small difficulties. Servants, food, 

 its preparation, drinks, etc., are placed in the hands of one or 

 two of the most experienced servants in the Station. When 

 all is ready a few bullock carts are loaded up and dispatched 

 the evening or morning before in charge of an attendant or 

 two, and a cook ; and the necessary number of table 

 servants to wait are told off to start in time to ensure their 

 being ready with a meal on the arrival of the sahibs. 



The members of the shoot drive or ride out in the early 

 morning so as to be at the rendezvous by the hour settled 

 upon. A certain amount of manoeuvring and heart-burning 

 take place over the question as to " who " shall go with 

 " who " ; but that is usually trivial compared to the struggle 

 amongst the bachelors at the end of the jolly day as to who 

 shall be their companion for the drive or ride back ! 



One of the many shooting picnics of this kind I enjoyed 

 in my salad days comes to my memory, and I will describe 

 it as roughly noted down at the time in my journal. 



It was in the third week in March and the sun was already 

 making its presence felt with unpleasant intensity. The 

 hot weather in that district was terrific, and no amount of 

 description will give those who have not experienced its 

 fierce power an idea of what the sun can really do when it 

 means business. That year we had a real " corker," and it 

 began early. 



I was out in camp and the first intimation I received of 

 the coming festivity was an order from my chief to proceed 

 to a certain favourite beat of ours and inspect the repairs 

 which had already beer, ordered to be carried out to a hue 

 of machans which were in existence. Having been by my- 

 self for some weeks I hailed the order with delight. Leaving 

 my camp standing I set out at 3 a.m. next morning and 

 rode through the forest to catch the mail at 4 a.m. at a small 

 station about six miles off, the train arriving at a junction 

 at 5.30 a.m. Here I got some breakfast with new bread, a 

 luxury I had not seen for weeks, and mounting a pony, 

 which had been sent out for me, galloped to K. about eight 



