SHOOT INFAMOUSLY 



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came across some buffaloes, and shot a couple of bulls, one 

 with very curious horns, forming nearly a circle, and all but 

 meeting at the points. I reached Barry's deserted garden 

 about 2 p.m., and put up in his bungalow, and sent for Sookur, 

 his old Cacharie mahout, who was then all but a boy, and 

 engaged him. He was a plucky fellow, and about the best 

 tracker out of India I ever came across. 



The next day I sent on my traps to Dowkagong, Barry's 

 second garden. I saw the marks of a lot of game, but all I 

 shot were a couple of buffaloes. At Mina Muttee there is a 

 nice stream of cold water, but no bungalow. Dowkagong is 

 rather out of the way. I sent for the head-man for supplies, 

 but he said they had nothing, and could get nothing without 

 the Mouzadar's orders, so I had him tied up to one of the 

 verandah posts, when everything requisite was forthcoming as 

 if by magic. I paid for everything with my own hands at the 

 prices asked, but the Assamese are an intractable race and 

 will do nothing without being forced by the Mouzadar, who 

 is seldom forthcoming. They don't live in their Mouzahs, but 

 go to some large town, where there are plenty of dancing 

 girls, and they can drink and debauch themselves to their 

 hearts' content. 



For the next day I either shot very badly or had the devil's 

 own luck. I came upon rhinoceros after rhinoceros, all at close 

 quarters, but failed to get a single one, though some six or 

 seven were severely wounded. As the rivers were rising I had 

 to hurry back. So on June 16 I went back to Bornuggur. 

 I had heard a good deal of a place called Pakah, and was told 

 it was not far from Bhowanipore. I was told deer were very 

 plentiful there, and where they are, tigers are sure to be near ; 

 but there was no such town or village as Pakah it was the 

 name of a district. Whilst in search of it, we had to cross 

 numerous nullahs, all out of depth, so we had to unload the 

 elephants, carry the goods across in boats, swim the steeds, 

 reload on the other side, and so on five or six times a day. 

 Two of my servants had gone off to Burpettah ; as I could 

 find no place of that name, viz. Pakah, I put up in a small 

 village inhabited by nominal Moslems, but they spoke no 

 Hindoostani, and to propitiate the Hindoos who lived round 



