MILITAR Y AD VENTURES. 291 



their own comfortable huts with as little 

 delay as possible. We had no trouble in 

 settling with our shikari as he was an 

 honest man, and, therefore, contented with 

 what we had agreed upon, and he was also 

 grateful for what he received ; so we parted 

 excellent friends, and I must confess to a 

 feeling of sincere regret when the good 

 old sportsman took leave of us. 



My six months leave was nearly up, 

 and, being so well in health, I had not the 

 wish to get an extension of it ; indeed I 

 looked forward to meeting my regiment 

 again with much pleasure, for in the east, 

 you regard your brother officers as the 

 greatest friends you have in the world ; 

 the same feeling, perhaps, applies to regi- 

 ments at home, but it is in a lesser degree : 

 in India you are thrown so much on each 

 others' society, and the knowledge that you 



