48 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



It was rather a tedious march through rice fields. Once 

 I vacated my exalted position rather hastily, one of my 

 coolies falling down. The chuprassie, gorgeously arrayed, 

 walked the whole way in front of my dandy. He wears a 

 white turban and white quilted overcoat lined with fur, a 

 scarlet underdress, gold waistcoat, bright green puttis 

 (gaiters), and a long sword, but rather destroys the effect 

 by carrying a huge Sairey Gamp umbrella. I am borne on 

 my litter, sitting cross-legged on a bright blue rug, with a 

 white sunshade over my head, and feel that I look like some 

 Hindoo idol being trotted round at a festival. 



At 2 p.m. we arrived at our camping ground, just above 

 a little village under the hill, and we soon get our tents 

 pitched. About five a message came. The ayah had broken 

 down and the dandy lias to lie sent back for her, much to 

 the coolies' disgust. Since our arrival they have never 

 moved, and sit on the ground wrapped in rugs, with only 

 their heads out. They are only stirred to activity by 

 the chuprassie prodding them with his umbrella. Half- 

 an-hour later Alan's keys are handed to him, a token 

 of Santan's defeat, and it is dark before he and the 

 ayah arrive, very weary and footsore. However, it is 

 not long before they are all singing and cooking round 

 a fire. 



The poor chuprassie is of a higher caste, so cannot eat 

 with the others, and has a fire of his own. It gave me cpiite 



