A RICKETY HAMMOCK 177 



much water in it now ; too much for the carts, how- 

 ever, and they stuck in the middle and we had to 

 take buffaloes out of passing carts, and yoke them 

 as extra ones, in front of ours, to help to drag the 

 carts through. One luggage cart dropped into a 

 hole, a foot or two deep, and the things on it were 

 of course soaked, especially the banjo, all the 

 cigarettes and a few books : the bed went under too, 

 but that mattered least, as the canvas of it dried in 

 a few minutes when it was opened out in the sun; 

 but the other things were not improved. The loaded 

 carts had an extremely stiff and rocky hill to climb 

 over on the march, the servants had to send for 

 more oxen, to help to draw, and they did not arrive 

 till next day. I got in early myself, as I was riding, 

 and a nice old Mussulman munshi prepared me 

 some rice, a boiled egg and milk, when he found me 

 starving. 



When the camp was fixed up the Ranger helped 

 to make arrangements for shikar, and a small buffalo 

 was tied up some miles away. Early next day the 

 village shikari and I went to see the place. We 

 started along a broad grassy road and in the dusty 

 ruts we soon came on the pugs of two tigers. We 

 followed these up for a long way, beautiful, clear, 

 fresh pugs; and we walked in their tracks so long 

 and so far I felt as if I knew them both personally, 

 and that they were my tigers. W r e lost the foot- 

 marks at last, going into the jungle, and went on 

 and found the tied buffalo was gone; we hurried 

 back and ordered coolies for a beat. 



On arrival in camp tidings were brought in by 



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