210 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



go for much ; but he is besides an extremely fine horse- 

 man, and would be in the first flight over any country. 



I ought to explain that a " Tent Club " cup corresponds 

 somewhat to a coursing cup in England — riders with spears 

 representing the greyhounds. The competitors are told 

 off to chase the boar by threes, and the one who gets " first 

 spear" wins. The winners again ride against each other, 

 until he who takes first spear in the last round wins the 

 cup. 



Tuesday.- — The [Maharaja called for Alan at daybreak 

 to so out shooting. It was a dull morning, the country 

 covered with a thick white mist, very like many a winter 

 day in Essex. They rode out to a preserve of the Raja's, 

 about twelve miles distant, where Alan shot four black 

 buck and three neilghai — the large antelope called " blue 

 bulls." I believe they could have shot any number of 

 buck, for they are so preserved that a herd sometimes 

 numbers four or five thousand. 



The [Maharaja, who is an excellent shot, has killed 

 twenty-six in a few hours. But Alan thought it was rather 

 like butchery, and was contented with shooting a few good 

 heads. He returned alone, for the [Maharaja had left him 

 in order to pursue a wounded neilghai, which had taken 

 refuge in a thick jungle. 



After waiting some hours, the aide-de-camp and orderlies 

 got rather uneasy, and set off to scour the country for their 



