CHAPTER IV. 



The "Patiale" on Fire. 



This was one of our usual cold weather meets, Son- 

 erantie Pooja, and we christened the first meet of the 

 Murshedabad Tent Club, as we intended getting up a tent 

 club, similar to the old Calcutta one. 



On the 12th January, 1875, Archie Hills, Ferguson, 

 Lyall, Irvine and Roberton turned up. 



Archie Hills came in the morning, and as the rest of 

 the party were only expected in the evening, we proposed 

 getting on the elephants and beating some of the village 

 jungles to drive the pigs out to some more open country 

 for the next day's hunt. At about three o'clock the 

 elephants were ordered to be brought up, and just as 

 we were about to make a start Roberton turned up and 

 went along with us. 



The jungle we beat was very dense and crossed by 

 several nullahs and yawning ditches ; Bob, who had not 

 had much experience of sitting in a hoivdah, or rather on 

 a pad, thought every moment the elephant he was on 

 was going over with him, and held on like grim death. 

 What made all this the more exciting was the mahout 

 telling us the elephant Roberton was on was not to be 



