CAMP IN THE EASTERN DOON. 173 



But alas ! in the Dehra Doon at any rate, such halcyon days 

 are, I fear, numbered; for its jungles are being slowly but 

 steadily cleared, and with them their wild denizens must as 

 surely decrease. Indeed it is by no means improbable that 

 ere very long the whistle of the " iron horse " may replace the 

 " bell " of the deer arid the " trumpet " of the wild elephant 

 sounds which of yore were wont to be heard in sylvan soli- 

 tudes which are now replaced by extensive clearings for the 

 cultivation of tea. 



It was about the middle of March 1860, when Colonel 

 (now General Sir Charles) Eeid, commanding my regiment, 

 invited me to join his shooting-camp in the eastern part of 

 the Dehra Doon. He had " padded " two fine tigers during 

 the few days he had been out before I joined him. This was 

 unusually good luck for the Doon jungles, where, although 

 tigers are pretty numerous, they are difficult to find when 

 beating for them with a line of elephants, from their being 

 so easily able to slink away unperceived in the almost im- 

 penetrable thickets and swampy cane-brakes with which the 

 eastern Doon abounds. If, however, intelligence can be got 

 of a tiger's having just killed a buffalo or bullock, and the 

 carcass reached before the " choomars " (leather tanners), who 

 are always on the look-out for such events, have discovered 

 it and stripped it of its hide and flesh, the chances of finding 

 the animal at or near the " kill " are then pretty certain. 



A delightful ride of about fifteen miles, chiefly through 

 forest, brought me to an open spot where the jungle had been 

 cleared, a few grass-huts erected, and the ground cultivated. 

 Here I found the Colonel's camp pitched, and fortunately 

 reached it just in time to escape a thorough drenching, as 

 shortly after my arrival a terrific thunderstorm burst over- 

 head, accompanied by high wind, which levelled one of the 

 tents in no time. 



When we mounted our elephants next morning the atmos- 

 phere was clear and cool, and our jungle surroundings looked 



