REMINISCENCES OF SONEPORE. 293 



of the murmuring stream ? Were they to impoverish their 

 affections until their hearts were past rejoicing? God forbid! 

 Under the leadership of Jimmy Macleod they have made for 

 themselves homes,wherein the associations of the Fatherland are 

 revived, and under his leadership they have formed a society, 

 parochial perhaps and narrow in its interests, but second to 

 none in brotherliness and, for the matter of that, sisterliness. 

 But hie to the grasses of the North ; hark to the trumpet- 

 ings of the elephants and the shouts of the coolies ; note for 

 an instant the hush of expectancy ; mark the moving of the 

 reeds ; listen to the roar of the line Suar ! Suar ! There 

 he goes across the plain. Oh noble pig, king of the hunted 

 ones, speed thee well. Steady, steady, or he will turn. Give 

 him confidence, his place of safety is far away in yon green 

 " nurkut." He rests, disturb him not. Allow time for re- 

 flection and hustle him not to hasty resolves. He moves ! 

 Confound that eager fool on the prancing horse ! Is he think- 

 ing of the fair one's question " Who got first spear?" Hold 

 back, Sir. Soft, he moves again ! His choice is made with 

 a lingering glance at the grass of peaceful slumber. The 

 swell is topped and he is out of sight. Off ! Jimmy has been 

 an actor in such scenes as this until their memories 

 must be thick as autumn leaves. He and Paddy Hudson have 

 been brothers in the chase as in everything else. It was a 

 pleasure to see them after a boar, how they suited their 

 tactics to the nature of the country and were neither 

 flustered nor selfish. When it came to the final rush, 

 Jimmy was generally in front on a racer, with lively 

 recollections of close finishes during the past cold season 

 tearing at his bit. But when the course was short and the 

 patches of cover close, and a turning movement had to be 'execu- 

 ted the horses were sent along as hard as they could go, regard- 

 less of what might be before them. Jimmy's spear has more 

 than once been of service to his friends in their need. On 



