SCOLOPAX RUSTICOLA 21 



about that date, this year without result till the 23rcl. On that day, 

 I happened to have for my morning parade ' exercise in hill climbing,' 

 so took my men up the side of the big hill overhanging Shillong, 

 which is pretty well covered with pine forest. 



" On parades like this, during the shooting season, I consider it 

 legitimate to carry a gun, and to take my two spaniels Celer ' and 

 ' Audax ' with me. 



" We, that is, my following of about 100 men, my batman with 

 the cartridge bag, the two dogs and myself, start up the hill within 

 half a mile of my house. A road runs zigzag up the hill through 

 forest and a hundred yards or so to the right of the road flows the 

 stream which forms part of the station water supply. We pound 

 steadily up the hill until we have already marched about a mile and a 

 half, up some 1,100 feet. Here I think the men may as well halt to 

 get their wind whilst I go down to look at the stream. 



Celer ' and ' Audax ' go into the wood above me and presently 

 one of them gives tongue. I see nothing, but from some little distance 

 up the hill I hear the wings of a bird clicking against the branches of 

 the trees as he flies, a sound I have noticed with both Woodcock and 

 Pheasant at home. A second later, he gives me the type of shot I 

 love best, coming towards me high overhead. I throw up the gun, fire, 

 and as I lower it, see the cock crashing down through the branches. 

 The orderly picks him up, and not having seen me shoot one for at least 

 seven months, asks what he is to do with it, thereby showing to how 

 great an extent the present system of training the individual soldier 

 to think for himself acts on some individuals. Not having sufBeient 

 command of his vernacular to tell him exactly what I should like to, 

 I merely order him to bring it along. 



" On returning to my small command, who have by this had a 

 good five minutes' rest, the bird is duly admired, and we fall in and 

 plod still further up the hill. On reaching the top we turn to the 

 left along the edge of the Government reserved forest, passing some 

 likely-looking ground, but as I should have to halt my men to try it, 

 it is scarcely the game to do so now, so I call off the dogs, who 

 are only too keen to work it. Along the crest of a hill for a mile or so, 

 and then we begin to descend ; half-way down, a stream runs almost 

 parallel to, and about fifty yards from our path, and as I can keep in 

 sight of the men, I think it quite legitimate to work it. 



" Just at this moment, the dogs rout out a brace of rufous-necked 

 Partridges from amongst the bracken beside the path, and both are 

 added to the bag. 



"The bed of the stream looks, and usually is, a grand place for a 

 Woodcock. Here and there are swampy bits, or patches of bracken, 

 while both banks are covered with fern and Daphne, with a fairly 

 thick pine forest over all. 



