Jungle By-Ways in India 



these weapons were, their owners loved them, 

 and trusted to them and could not be induced 

 to part. 



Surrounded by this unique assemblage, all in 

 the highest spirits, we started for the machans. 

 Half-way the beaters left us, and at about i p.m. 

 we reached the first of the machans. The Raja's 

 staff had taken unusual trouble over these. The 

 sporting sahib is usually content with a small 

 platform fixed to a couple of stout branches of a 

 tree, with a few green branches placed round the 

 sides to serve as a screen. Not so the Raja's 

 people ! Each machan had a pointed roof to it, 

 walls at the sides with large windows, and a 

 small door at the bottom through which pro- 

 jected a ladder by which one ascended. The 

 whole thing was built of green boughs. Beautiful 

 leafy bowers these, in one of which the Raja 

 doubtless intended to enjoy his afternoon siesta, 

 what time the incomprehensible sahib-log worried 

 themselves about the shooting. 



We tossed for machans to the Raja's discomfi- 

 ture, for was it not only in the fitness of things 

 that the District Burra Sahib should have the 

 best, and had it not been all so arranged ! I, the 

 junior of the party, won the best. A small nullah 

 ran close by it, down which a panther would be 

 certain to try and sneak should there be one in 

 the beat. So I was warned. 



I climbed up into my machan with one atten- 



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