302 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



"For a bison's head Rs. 15 ; for a sambar's head Rs. 5 ; 

 and if it is khub zabbar, a real big one, then perhaps Rs. 7. 

 For a chital head I get less. For a tiger's skin Ishnaag 

 gives Rs. 50, and for a panther's skin Rs. 15. A bear's 

 skin fetches Rs. 4. For a sambar's skin, male or female, 

 we get from Rs. 5 to Rs. 7. 



" How did you get to know of Ishnaag ? He lives a long 

 way off/' I asked. 



" Oh, we get our powder at H ! Besides this, long 



ago, a messenger came from Ishnaag to all the shikaris 

 round about, and told them the prices that would be given. 

 Everyone knows Ishnaag. He is our mother and father ! 

 He is very kind to us. No trouble about payments, and 

 no bribes to be given, as when one is foolish enough to 

 take a tiger or panther skin to the Saddar for payment of 

 the Government reward. Ishnaag says nothing, and asks 

 no questions ; only says, ' Bring more soon ' and ' Here is 

 your powder and bullets. I have deducted their price 

 from the value of your heads and skins.' " 



" And are there many shikaris that go to H ? u 



" Plenty of them, sahib ! All the villages near the bandi 

 have shikaris of their own, and, besides these jungles, there 

 are good jungles for shikar all up there (pointing north). 

 I have met the shikaris of those parts at IshnaagV 



" But the bison remain in the bandi ? " I suggested, 

 "also most of the other game." 



" Oh, that is nothing ! " quoth this artless child of the 

 forest, "that is nothing! All one has to do is to give 

 something to the Jamaddr sahib and to the forester ; one 

 rupee or two rupees, or a sambar's charsa (skin), and no- 

 body says anything. Look ! It was down there in that 

 valley last year I shot a splendid hela (bison). I waited 

 for him coming from the water, and killed him with one 

 bullet. Yes, he ran a few hundred yards, and then I had 

 to shoot him again to make sure. I shoot twelve, fifteen 

 big animals every year. But up north there, a man called 



