184 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



to say, a few things a great many times over. I 

 played two breakdowns and the Dead March in 

 " Saul," as that was about the extent of my 

 repertoire. They did not say they were tired of it 

 and sat on; and when I asked whether they liked 

 it they said, " Yes, better than our own music," and 

 no wonder ! 



When I was camping once with my brother 

 Herbert, we used to strum duets while we were 

 waiting for dinner. Two young goats that belonged 

 to the camp came trotting up when we began, and 

 sat themselves down between us and the camp fire. 

 We thought it was very friendly and nice of them 

 and that they had probably come for the warmth. 

 When we had finished playing they got up and ran 

 off. We were very much surprised when they came 

 again the next evening as soon as we began to play, 

 and lay near our feet and waited till the end. We 

 played the Dead March to them and probably the 

 same old breakdowns; they seemed to like the 

 classical music best, one goat nodded its head to 

 it and shook its little tassels, and they came every 

 evening as long as we stayed in that place. 



A letter was sent from Maraji one evening to say 

 that a tiger had just killed a horse close up to the 

 forest bungalow or hut would be a better name for 

 it and he was sitting there eating it and would not 

 move, and I was to come over at once. That 

 sounded quite useful, and I had visions of sitting 

 hidden, looking out of the hut window and potting 

 the tiger at about five yards. I sent off the rifle, 

 hammock, rugs and a dinner of sorts with much 



