208 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



walking-stick he had carved himself, to show his 

 sympathy. I was rejoiced that I could have my 

 bath, which Govind put alongside the bed, and I 

 could manage to drop myself gently in, avoiding 

 wetting the bad leg, and then drying myself in 

 sections. 



After some days Rattan Lai, who talked some 

 English, said, " The cavities are beginning to fill 

 in and growing up to the mar-r-r-r-gin ; there is 

 now no danger-r-r-r." But he told me afterwards 

 he was still afraid of blood poisoning and only said 

 this to cheer me up ! 



Two bears were heard fighting near, one night, but 

 Abdulla remarked, we could not put up a machan 

 for a beat, even in the veranda. The two little 

 bears they had caught and brought in ; one was soon 

 ailing, though. They were brought into my room, 

 with bits of rope round their necks, but were too 

 fierce to handle ; the ailing cub soon died, and after 

 that his brother collapsed suddenly. 



The better the wounds got the more they hurt 

 during the dressing, the doctor kneading them rather 

 violently with his thumb, to increase the circulation 

 at the " margin/ 1 he said. It gave me fits, but I 

 told him to carry on if it was for my good and I 

 would keep quiet. One day I could stand it no 

 longer, so he gave up that part of the business. He 

 promised that I should get out in ten days ; when the 

 ten days were up he said seven more, and so on, 

 which he said he did to keep me quiet. 



One night a cart came creaking in very late; 

 there were stifled cries and groans, and a poor woman 



