172 Leaves from an Indian Jungle. 



*' How did you .get to know of Ishnaag? He lives a 

 long way off," I asked. 



" Oh, we get our powder at H ! Besides this, long ago, 



a -messenger came from Ishnaag to all the shikaris round 

 about, and told them the prices that would be given. Every 

 one knows Ishnaag. He is our mother and father ! He is 

 very kind to us. No trouble about payments, and no bribes 

 to be given, as when one is foolish enough to take a tiger 

 or panther skin to the 'Saddar ' for payment of the Govern- 

 ment reward. Ishnaag says nothing, and asks no ques- 

 tions ; only says c Bring more soon ' and ' Here is your 

 powder .and bullets. I have deducted their price from the 

 value of your heads and skins.' ' 



"And are there many shikaris that go to H ? " 



"Plenty of them, SaJiib / All the villages near the 

 bandi have shik&risoi their own, and, besides these jungles, 

 there are good jungles for shikar all up there (point- 

 ing north). I have met the shikaris of those parts at 

 Ishnaag's." 



"But the bison remain in the bandi? " I suggested, "also 

 most of the other game." 



" Oh, that is nothing ! " quoth this artless child of the 

 forest, a that is nothing ! All one has to do is to give 

 something to the Jamadar sahib and to the forester one 

 rupee or two rupees, or a sambar's charsa (skin), and 

 nobody says anything. Look! It was down there in that 

 valley last year I shot a splendid he/a (bison). I waited 

 for him coming from the water, and killed him with one 

 bullet. Yes, he ran a few hundred yards, and then I had 

 to shoot him again to make sure. I shoot twelve, fifteen 

 big animals every year. But up north there, a man called 

 4 Lallu ' shoots sometimes twenty-five or thirty. He has 

 got a splendid gun, and lie never misses ! " 



