302 RIFLE AXD SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



who appears to have been watching, and seized the oppor- 

 tunity when the sowar in charge of the luggage had dropped 

 behind to water his horse. 



February 16th. — Alan went out shooting with Captain 

 Bell. They saw a good stag, but could not get a shot. In 

 the middle of the night I was awakened by a tame mongoose, 

 a pet of Mrs. Bell's. It had hidden itself in my room, and I 

 was suddenly aroused by, as I thought, an enormous rat 

 running over my bed. To-day the mongoose has been in 

 disgrace. Whilst we were out driving it seized the oppor- 

 tunity to pay a visit to the quail house, and bit off the heads 

 of over twenty quail which were being fattened. 



February 17th. — The mongoose has further distinguished 

 itself. Mrs. Bell had a sitting of rare eggs sent her, which 

 were put in a cupboard till a hen could be found. We heard 

 a curious noise in the cupboard, and, opening it, discovered 

 the mongoose seated on its hind legs eating the last of the 

 eggs. 



DO 



They are dreadfully mischievous little beasts, and not 

 sociable like a dog or a cat. I could not help asking of what 

 use they were, and was told the story of an inquisitive man 

 in a railway carriage, who was trying to find out the contents 

 of a basket carried by a fellow-passenger. 



At last he was told it was a mongoose. " Yes, but what 

 is the use of a monooose ? " 



" Oh, it kills snakes," was the reply. 



