Hog- hunting. 203 



scene were the mosquitoes, which provokingly took 

 advantage of our being in undress. "Early to bed 

 and early to rise " is a maxim cultivated amongst 

 sportsmen in the East, so ten o'clock found us in our 

 cots, our bearers having tucked in the mosquito 

 curtains around each sahib to ensure him having a 

 good night's rest. 



It is difficult to say how the poor natives manage. 

 On such excursions they have little or no bed clothes 

 with them. Cleaning up and tidying after we retired 

 occupy them hours, yet by 4 A.M. the whole camp 

 was astir, with kettles bubbling, ham being grilled, 

 eggs boiled or poached. At half-past four we were 

 roused ; at five dressed. A hasty snack followed, 

 and half an hour after we were ready to start, 

 which in the East is just about daybreak. 



To-day E. and L, F. and A., G. and C., and B. 

 and D. were told off together. We went due west, 

 crossing the bad watercourses by means of the 

 bridges I have before mentioned. E. was on rather 

 an old, but powerful hunter, I on my Mahratta 

 pony. We came across a spotted deer, and foolishly 

 chased it. We certainly had a splendid run. The 

 watercourses we encountered were not too broad to 

 jump, and we cleared them nearly together, whilst 

 the deer, some fifty yards ahead, sprang over them 

 beautifully ; our horses were in tip-top condition, 

 both of us light weights, but for an hour the deer 

 kept straight. Our mounts were now panting, 

 although going strong ; but we knew the pace was 

 too good to last long, and were therefore glad to 

 see the buck swerving from its direct course, and 

 in another quarter of an hour it was trying to 



