Round the Camp Fire. 185 



sively to the cramping limits of, say, a racquet-court's four 

 walls, when there is easy access to an almost limitless 

 expanse of free open country around, affording almost every 

 opportunity for the use of horse, gun, rifle, or spear, 

 seems to imply a lack of versatility, and is disappointing to 

 some of us. 



There may be, indeed there are numerous reasonable 

 causes of this tendency to exercise one's self after the 

 manner of the squirrel in its cage ; but it is not difficult to 

 trace its results especially in the case of the soldier- 

 officer. 



Such and other considerations cannot fail to advance the 

 plea for the preservation of Indian game. 



*% **# *** #*# *** **# 



To pass to other shikar subjects, there is a topic of 

 considerable interest of which the writer was reminded the 

 other day on meeting a friend who had lately returned 

 from an expedition to certain jungles not unknown to fame, 

 as the resort of big game. 



Although good shots and keen shikaris, he and his. 

 equally youthful companion had succeeded in securing only 

 one tiger ; whereas their bag of bears, leopards, and deer 

 was quite a good one. 



In the course of conversation my friend discussed, with 

 some pardonable heat, the suspicions he had formed 

 with regard to the reasons of failure with the tigers;, 

 and having a vivid recollection of similar experiences 

 ourselves, we found ourselves able not only to confirm 

 his suspicions, but to suggest other causes, which, as, 

 it subsequently transpired, fitted his case with remarkable 

 accuracy. 



24 



