36o THE FORESTS OF UPPER INDIA 



keeping in the heat of the body by wrapping oneself in 

 a long Kashmiri choga, well padded or of heavy camel's 

 hair, over the warmest English woollen garments one 

 possesses. The luxury of a fire at the tent door can some- 

 times be enjoyed when in the jungle, but not always. 

 After dinner, taken by the light of candles in glass shades, 

 and a cheroot, one soon turns in between thick blankets, 

 and sleeps the sleep of the tired. One is seldom disturbed 

 except by the occasional growl and bark of the dogs 

 chained not far off, and the rush to the door of the spaniels, 

 which sleep in the tent, ready to keep away all intruders. 

 The servants, sleeping wrapped in their blankets and 

 rezais under the verandah, form a sufficiently watchful 

 barrier against thieves or prowhng pariah dogs, which 

 otherwise would infallibly invade the premises. Two 

 large Brinjara hounds, Bigli and Begum, and a powerful 

 Scotch deerhound, Effie, in charge of Munnoo, the 

 mehtar, would, if loosed, make short work of the most 

 daring robbers, who, knowing what the dangers might be, 

 take good care to keep clear of such a sahib's camp. 

 Otherwise, in these jungly districts, night dacoits might 

 be quite readily in evidence. It was wise also to sleep 

 with a loaded revolver under one's pillow, and guns and 

 rifles tied to the tent-pole handy. The marvellous stories 

 one hears of naked, well-oiled black athletes creeping into 

 tents and effecting clever robberies, and of ladies waking 

 and finding nooses placed round their necks, and the 

 robbers escaping and leaving no trail, except perhaps a 

 murderous knife dropped on the dari, are too well known 

 to be repeated. The actual incidents are, however, some- 

 times more incredible than the stories, and one does wisely 

 to own a few really wicked dogs, and to carry as few 

 valuables as possible when marching. 



The habit of going to bed at dark necessarily implies 



