Reminiscences of Junglypur. 127 



a jumble of smooth pot-holes below a little waterfall. Hard 

 by, a tiny spring oozed out from under the roots of an 

 ancient tree. Beyond the grey rocks rose the yellow spear- 

 grass, clothing rugged hills that were studded with jungle 

 trees displaying vivid autumnal tints ; while far up the 

 narrow glen there hung the distant bulk of the massive 

 heights of Jhakra. Marks of the nightly visits of deer 

 were fairly plentiful in the soft soil and mud bordering 

 the stream, as well as the bath-like mud-wallow of a big 

 stag, called Ictan by the jungle-men. 



Here I investigated the mysteries of the tiffin-basket, 

 while the men squatted about the rocks for a smoke. 



On my tendering a cheroot to the Korkus, great was the 

 interest evinced by these simple fellows. Hearing a volley 

 of laughter and chaff, I glanced up to see that the wag of 

 the party had improved on the native method of sticking 

 the lighted cigar through the fingers and sucking from 

 the hands formed into a bowl ; he had quietly appropriated 

 the smoke, as it went the round from hand to hand, and 

 sat demurely puffing it after the manner of the sahibs to 

 the intense amusement of his fellows. 



After a short rest at the Jamun Jhira we took the hill 

 again, and, as the bear had been lost sight of, beat a large 

 cup-shaped ravine, called the " Kachanar khora." This 

 took a long time, but did not produce the bear or anything 

 else, so, accompanied by the patel of Barhanpur, I climb- 

 ed out of this "devil's punch-bowl" by a distinctly ticklish 

 ascent, which necessitated several extremely nasty crawls 

 along the dangerously tilted hillside that swept smoothly 

 down, to end abruptly in a considerable cliff of black 

 basalt. 



The beaters went back out of the mouth of the ravine, led 

 by the orderly ; while I shortly afterwards arrived at the 



