76 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



remember much about. The lights of the bungalow brought 

 me back to the world, and tired, wet and muddy, I stamped 

 in, subsided into a long chair, and laughed at R.'s incredulous 

 " Nonsense, what ? Well, I'm . . . ! What ? " as I assured 

 him I had bagged (within twenty-four hours of my arrival 

 in the " no shikar " country) the tiger, my first tiger. 



I sent the skin to L. next day with a note worded much 

 as follows : " Dear L. Herewith a tiger skin. Will you 

 look after it for me till I turn up. Shot the brute yesterday. 

 Understood you to say there was no shooting in the 

 hills, and that it was a poor country. I find it top hole." 



His reply was perhaps more emphatic than polite, 

 although extremely pithy. It consisted of 



" Dear S. Well, I'm d d ! " 



