CHAPTER XXIV 



IN the meantime I was enjoying in anticipation the com- 

 forts that awaited me at the end of my long journey. 

 Having started shortly after daybreak, I rode the first 

 few miles to a village on the roadside, where I had to 

 make a local investigation, and found the witnesses all 

 assembled, also my dogcart ready for the continuation of 

 my journey. 



But the inquiry occupied some hours, with the result 

 that the rest of the journey had to be made under a noon- 

 day sun, which even in December is still powerful at this 

 time. However, with a change of horses on the way, the dis- 

 tance was soon covered, and in an hour or two after starting, 

 the white canvas of the tents were to be seen, nestling 

 amongst the trees, and seemingly quite near. 



Unfortunately, in India, when travelling " across 

 country," the sight of one's destination does not necessarily 

 mean the journey's end, as I found, for between me and 

 my camp there was a river, minus bridge or ferry, and with 

 stretches of sand on either bank which took long to traverse. 



But, being the police sahib, and therefore a " per- 

 sonage," my convenience had been consulted, and I 

 found a posse of the useful " chokidars " * awaiting my 

 arrival on the borders of the sand. The dogcart was 

 speedily unharnessed, and while half a dozen men seized 

 upon the shafts, others pushed behind, and the rest, 

 pulling round the spokes, the trap went ploughing through 

 the sand. 



On reaching the river, which, though broad, was 

 fordable in places, two men went on in front, seeking the 

 shallower parts, the procession following in their track. 

 Suddenly one of them sunk bodily up to his armpits, when 

 a halt was called and a fresh cast had to be made. 



* Village watchmen, 



189 



