FAIRLY IN THE WILDS 137 



" Yes," he replied, " I see that ; a rare 

 insect to him is the same as a forty-incher 

 to us. But what a funny amusement, 

 sahib!" 



" Now tell me, Lassoo, did you ever see 

 a sahib who really funked ? " 



Lassoo grew grave, and said, " I've 

 been a shikari thirty years, and I only saw 

 one case of it ; and that was when I was 

 with a Major P. When we were charged 

 by a red bear he regularly ran away, and 

 we should all have been killed, only I hit 

 the bear on the nose with my stick, and 

 she turned away. I told the sahib that I 

 wouldn't go out with him again, and that I 

 was going back to Srinagar ; but he said 

 that he was very, very sorry, that he 

 couldn't account for it, and that a devil 

 must have got into him. So I didn't go 

 away after all ; and the funny part is, that 

 I had had all sorts of adventures with the 

 sahib before, and had more after ; and that 

 was the only time anything of the sort oc- 

 curred. I think a devil really must have 



