TIGERLAND 



Finally the crossing was accomplished, and the second 

 stretch of sand being negotiated as before, the horse was 

 again harnessed ; but while this was being done the police 

 inspector from the camp arrived upon the scene to escort 

 " his honour " to the tents. 



Clad in skin-tight uniform, and mounted on a pony 

 several sizes too small for him, this portly but ridiculous- 

 looking official, sitting his steed in evident discomfort, 

 flourished one hand in salute while the other wisely gripped 

 the pommel of his saddle, for the pony, unaccustomed to 

 these antics, suddenly plunged forward, and, but for this 

 additional connection with his mount, their partnership 

 would have probably been dissolved. 



However, recovering his equilibrium he struggled back 

 into the saddle, but the next instant was off at full gallop 

 in the direction of the camp not from any desire to pro- 

 ceed with such celerity, but because he was, for the moment, 

 under the dominion of his steed, who, for reasons of his 

 own, was anxious to get home. 



Meanwhile, having climbed into the dogcart, I whom 

 discipline compelled to maintain a dignified bearing, 

 somewhat difficult under the circumstances followed in 

 the wake of the vanishing policeman, now a mere speck in 

 the distance, and finally overtook him in a ditch at the 

 turning to the camp. 



In no way disconcerted by his fall, he explained in his 

 very best " Babu " English, " that owing to excessive 

 velocity of horse, no doubt, he could no longer maintain 

 equilibrium, and had therefore sustained cropper" a 

 fact quite evident from the condition of his clothing, for 

 he now presented a most draggle-tail appearance. 



Having thus, according to his standard of equitation, 

 satisfactorily accounted for his presence in the ditch, he 

 accepted with some diffidence the offer of a lift, and, 

 scrambling on to the back seat of the dogcart, accompanied 

 me on to camp. 



As we approached the tents a " chokidar," who had 

 probably been watching for some hours, ran on to warn 

 the camp, and soon the servants could be seen emerging 

 from their quarters, and hastily adjusting their attire, 

 hastened to receive the sahib. Amongst these the 

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