243 



A BIG SNAKE. 



SOME years ago we were at Sumpta, a part of the 

 Sarunda State Forest, Chota Nagpore, seeing to 

 the marking of sal trees to be cut down for 

 sleepers which the Forest Department had under- 

 taken to supply to the Oudh and Rohilkund Rail- 

 way. The heat was intense, something like 114 

 in the shade, so that even the physical training 

 of a Cooper's Hill course, where physical fitness 

 is a sine qua non, had to admit itself beaten and 

 prefer a siesta in the shade to a ten-mile tramp 

 over hill and dale even after the largest of solitary 

 bison. Our coolies had come in with reports 

 of a solitary bull here, a cow and a calf there, or 

 a herd somewhere else, all within easy march ; but 

 bison-shooting meant a day or two away from 

 duty, and our Chief C - was a devil for work, 

 and thought more of a sleeper or two brought to 

 the railway station than bagging the biggest 

 tusker in Singbhoom, or the record horns of a bull 

 bison. 



We were talking of school-days and of football 

 matches, and arguing whether M. or S. was not 

 the best half-back of his year and entitled to a 

 place in any county fifteen, when my servant 



1 6* 



