REMINISCENCES OF JUNGLYPUR 227 



nail when I got down to him ; and, luckily, his skin had 

 not been damaged in the fall. 



Sunset was now glowing behind the black cliffs, and the 

 Dhar khora lay already shrouded in cold shadow. After 

 a refresher from the well-worn old tiffin-basket, we walked 

 homewards through the darkening woods, Night suddenly 

 casting her star-pricked mantle over the hills as the roost- 

 ing cries of peafowl echoed mournfully abroad. As we 

 passed the gaoli's encampment further down the glen, a 

 shout brought the sturdy herdsman from among the already 

 zariba'd kine to view his defunct enemy. "Wah! He 

 would trouble the cattle no more, and high time too. But 

 others would take his place. Achchha, sahib ! Roru shall 

 be sent with news if more gdras occur which Bhagwdn 

 avert!" he mutters to himself; and we pass on. At 

 length the roadside is reached near little Barhdnpur, the 

 panther is stowed under the seat, and the good mare, seem- 

 ing to care nothing for her unwonted passenger, swings 

 us swiftly away down the straight homeward stretch. 



At present Junglypur is looking its very best. There 

 has been a good rainfall this year, and there is promise of 

 a splendid cold weather. The wide plains right up to the 

 base of the hills are waving with plenteous crops. There 

 is an unusual abundance of animal and bird life. Black- 

 buck and chinkdra are to be seen within the station 

 boundaries ; pig appear to be plentiful in the sendhi ndlas % 

 where we hope they will stay after the crops are cut ; and 

 all night long, with wakeful shout, the watchers guard their 

 fields from tall machdns. Up in the hills six miles away it 

 is lovely. As you canter towards them at daybreak the 

 red rim of the sun rising over the morning ground mists 

 throws their sharply chiselled features into strong relief 

 against the deep shadow of their glens and khdras. From 

 remotest east to west stretches the long mountain range 

 a tall succession of golden-pink wall with deep purple 

 fissures. Its peaks and valleys in such a cold clear atmo- 



