50 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



of dark olive colour, rather slightly made, with 

 small quick eyes, placed very much apart, a strag- 

 gling moustache, and an apology for a beard, in 

 the shape of a few stiff hairs, sticking out like cat's 

 whiskers, from the point of his chin, which he 

 pulled and twisted about most violently whenever he 

 got excited. 



He wore an old cast-off green shooting-coat, a 

 dirty brown langooty or waistcoat, untanned deer- 

 skin gaiters, and soldiers' ammunition boots, which 

 were oftener slung over his shoulders than worn 

 on his feet. His long coarse black hair was twisted 

 round his head, being partially covered with a skull- 

 cap of some strange looking material, of which the 

 kind and quality were perfectly undistinguishable 

 from grease and dirt. 



Round his waist was a broad leather belt, hung 

 round with numerous pouches, containing ammu- 

 nition, a small axe made by the celebrated Aruat- 

 chellum of Salem, a huge shekar knife, and a chuck- 

 muck, or leather bag, with flint, steel, and tinder. 

 To complete his appearance, a telescope and brandy 

 flask hung from each shoulder, and in his hand 

 he carried my favourite double two-ounce rifle, a 

 masterpiece, by Westley Richards. From his cocky 

 mien and jaunty swagger, our friend evidently 

 thought no "small beer" of himself, and he was, I 

 must own, an invaluable personage in his way, being 

 a first-rate tracker, cool and steady in the time of 

 danger, a wonderful supporter of fatigue, and the most 



