BY TAMARIND AND MHOWA 175 



I suppose most of us are aware of the existence of a 

 certain demon of mischief that haunts our daily life. 

 I mean the small household gnome who is directly 

 responsible for many of our petty worries who hides 

 the penknife, or cigar-case, or book which we have for a 

 moment put down, and is very fond of match-boxes. I 

 made a distinct score off him at this camp. 



I was shooting entirely with a '303 magazine sporting 

 rifle at the time, my new "400 bore cordite rifle having 

 failed to arrive from England to date ; and I had sold my 

 577 and another blunderbuss type of obsolete artillery to 

 buy the same "400. I was, therefore, temporarily depen- 

 dent entirely on my one barrel. 



The "pull-off" of the little rifle had become a trifle 

 heavier than I like, so, urged doubtless by my particular 

 familiar fiend, I stripped the action. Having readjusted 

 some matters, I was engaged in replacing the sear spring, 

 which actuates both the trigger and the catch holding the 

 magazine. At this moment my companion was startled 

 from slumber by a loud expletive. The spring had 

 snapped ! 



I can see the little camp under the big tamarinds now, 

 myself sitting gazing out on the heat-shimmering jungle, 

 with that tiny broken bit of steel in my palm. Wild plans 

 chased each other through my head, each to be discarded 

 in turn. Here I was in the heart of India, weeks away 

 from new springs, and not overmuch leave to get through. 

 For the want of that little bit of steel, my tigers would 

 roam all round camp at their ease. I pictured my com- 

 panion's return, laden with trophies, while I sat in camp 

 alone, or blew out the choke of my beautiful gun with ill- 

 fitting and wobbly-flighted spherical balls. Over it all 

 rose the thin sardonic chuckle of the household gnome ! 



An hour later my orderly, his knees tucked into my 

 pony's ribs, was fleeing east to the least distant railway 

 station, near which were sundry workshops. However, 



