152 THRILLING ADVENTURES. 



I left two unfortunate hill men in the Sogla Pass. Two more 

 would have perished, had I not taken one wheelbarrow fashion, 

 by the legs, and dragged him after me (although very much 

 distressed myself) until we had descended sufficiently to rest 

 with safety. My head man, Jye Sing, by my direction took 

 the other man, and both were saved. 



After getting through the pass, we came upon the inha- 

 bited tracks, and made the acquaintance of the Bhootias. I 

 found them very original, very dirty, and very honest with 

 regard to every thing except tobacco. This, neither father 

 nor mother, husband nor wife, could help stealing, whenever 

 they had an opportunity ; and the most amusing part of it 

 was, they never attempted to deny the theft, but stoutly 

 maintained their right to the article ! Numerous were the 

 thrashings inflicted by Buctoo on them for tobacco thieving, 

 but the thefts did not diminish. 



As my object in coming into these fastnesses was to get 

 on terms of familiarity with the quadrupedal rather than the 

 bipedal inhabitants, I will leave the Bootias, and proceed to 

 describe my rencontres with the equally civilized four-footed 

 denizens. I had in'my employ Shikarees (game-seekers) of 

 no ordinary class, who, having been many years with me, 

 were well tutored ; although, when first caught, they were 

 ignorance personified, as far as sporting matters went. Their 

 original incapacity will be easily credited, when I inform 

 them that my second best, Buctoo, had followed the sporting 

 occupation of a village fiddler, before he entered my service, 

 and knew as much of the capabilities of an English double- 

 barrelled rifle as he did of the "Pleiades." Jye Sing was a 

 a little better informed, for he told me confidentially, one day, 

 he had seen a gentleman at Subathoo actually kill quail flying 

 with small shot. His occupation had been that of findal 

 (porter)* to some families at Simla. Two months' training 

 turned him out, not only one of the most intelligent, but the 

 pluckiest Shikaree I ever had. 



