278 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS 



out stable broom. But these scanty bail's are oiled and 

 dressed most carefully, and occasionally dyed to increase 

 the effect. 



The elephants' faces and bodies are often painted for 

 greater adornment — sometimes with black and white spots, 

 or red, orange, and blue bands and stripes. One had an 

 enormous pair of moustachios painted above his tusks ; 

 and another long-headed beast was coloured to look like 

 Ally Sloper. 



In the afternoon Alan went out shooting, and got two 

 fine buck ravine deer stalking, besides shooting some green 

 pigeons. 



February 2nd. — No news of a tiger again this morn- 

 ing ; but the shikaris have not returned from one beat, 

 and Hermiron Singh advises we should not leave the camp 

 till they arrive. 



About noon we had almost made up our minds to go 

 out after ravine deer, when a sowar galloped into camp 

 saying a donkey had been killed last night near a village 

 some five miles off, and the shikaris have marked the tiger 

 down. In an instant the camp was thrown into the 

 wildest excitement — servants running to and fro with 

 guns, horses being saddled, and howdahs and pads strapped 

 on the elephants. In ten minutes hardly a soul was left 

 behind. Colonel Fraser was on one elephant, his cousin, 

 My. J , on another, and we had a third. 



