258 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



handsome, with beautiful hairs on its head ; but it is slow. 

 Another is not so good-looking, but very fast. And the 

 mahout (driver) of a third, which is neither fast nor hand- 

 some, tells him such pretty stories. 



January 24t/t. — Awoke at 2 a.m. by the rain beating on 

 the tents, and at six o'clock Colonel Fraser sends to say that 

 the downpour has destroyed all chance of finding a tiger, 

 and that they had decided to return home till the weather 

 clears up. We are sixteen miles from the railway to Ulwar, 

 and if we start immediately may catch the morning train. 

 The Frasers went off at once on an elephant; and as soon as 

 we were dressed, we galloped away in a tonga. It rained 

 eats and dogs, and we passed a demoralised camp in full 

 retreat. Camels, who can hardly keep their feet when the 

 ground is wet and greasy, were slipping about wildly ; 

 elephants jogging as fast as the mahouts could drive them ; 

 riders and drivers muffled up on every kind of conveyance— 

 none, if they can help it, on their own legs, for a native is 

 like a cat in wet weather. We pass the clerks in their 

 "ruts," wrapped in gorgeous-coloured rezais, and looking 

 very damp and dismal. All are making tracks for the rail- 

 way station. The little Maharaja started with us, and came 

 about a mile, but then felt so cold that he returned to his 

 tent, where he has a tame hare, a black buck, and four little 

 boj T s, as playfellows. 



Ulwar, Wednesday. — A drizzling morning, but cleared 



