io8 THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



life of the advance of the once dreaded army of the Huns 

 described by Gibbon. 



These quaint barbarians in round felt hats, armed with 

 swords like old Roman gladii, bows and spears — a few 

 of them carrying slung across their backs long matchlocks 

 with a sort of easel attached to rest the point on when 

 firing — were (but for the matchlock) probably exact 

 counterparts of Attila's heroes. They are a very lazy 

 race, and never go two yards on foot. Their walk is a 

 slouching, feeble one when off their ponies, but when 

 mounted they are in their glory. They ride on high 

 wooden saddles, with boards for flaps. Over all is placed 

 a sort of padded mattress which covers half the pony. 

 They scuttle along over the stones at a tremendous 

 pace, the gentleman on top jumping and winking and 

 nodding at every step of his prancing charger, which is 

 held by a powerful bit. There are brass mountings and 

 tassels of red hair swinging from the bridle, and cruppers 

 and breast-bands galore. His riding-boots are of red 

 cloth of a graceless shape. And in the matter of hats he 

 is most tasteful. Some are broad like a Swiss woman's, 

 some tall like the Welsh, some are wideawakes and soft 

 felt caps, some Glengarries, like soup-plates with a 

 pompon in bright yellow or scarlet in the middle. This 

 on the top of a greasy round red face and an enormous 

 pigtail behind makes him too funny an object. His 

 knees are up to his chin, in the Tod Sloan fashion. He 

 brandishes a short dog whip, and makes his pony pace 

 with an extraordinary pig-like run, two legs on one side 

 moving together, then the other two. 



These brave troopers did not, however, succeed in 

 making us stop our march, as when they got in front of 

 us we laughed the harder at their uncouth gestures, and 

 walked round them, telling them through our inter- 



