28 JUNGLE FARE. 



I 



year for malaria, was tempting Providence, as I learnt fro; 

 subsequent experience. But we were young and thought- 

 less, caring little for any risk so long as there was a chance 

 of sport. 



Having shaken ourselves up, we performed our ablutions 

 in the river, which ran within a few paces of our sandy 

 couch. After a cup of tea and a biscuit, we started each to 

 our respective work ; my companion electing to try his luck 

 at the river, whilst I, wishing him " a tight line," took the 

 hill after deer. Owing to the thickness of the undergrowth 

 and the dense mist, there was very little chance of seeing 

 game, although the fresh tracks of jurrow were numerous. 

 And when the mist was dispelled by the rising sun, the 

 sweltering heat was so oppressive as to make climbing about 

 the steep jungly hillsides, in such close steamy atmosphere, 

 next thing to impossible, not to mention the attacks of 

 myriads of biting insects. On returning I found my hungry 

 chum clamouring for a late breakfast, and much disgusted 

 at having lost a very heavy fish after he had run it for about 

 half an hour. 



In the cool of the evening we were both at the water 

 again. After trying flies and trolling baits all to no pur- 

 pose, we were at last reduced to the more prosaic method of 

 bottom-fishing with a lump of dough kneaded together with 

 wool to make it adhesive. To this, at the suggestion of an 

 old Goorkha whom we had brought with us, a great authority 

 on mahseer-fishing, was added some turmeric and garlic. 

 These pungent ingredients, he said, made the bait more 

 attractive. With this odoriferous compound, I managed to 

 inveigle two nice mahseer of seven and eight pounds. My 

 companion also killed a fine fish in the same sorry way, 

 which was better than nothing. 



That evening we fared sumptuously on venison-soup, fish 

 fresh from the river, savoury though perhaps slightly tough 

 jurrow steaks, followed by hot whisky-toddy and a pipe, to 

 both of which latter we doubtless partly owed our immunity 



