MAHSER FISHING 73 



himself, when he would fire the arrow into his 

 body. The rush of the stricken fish across the 

 Indus was, as he said, fine sport, and I have no 

 doubt it was. When the fish had made his rush, 

 he hauled him in with the cord. 



Waris said he had caught fish in this way up 

 to 50 Ibs. in weight, and that he found the sport 

 so fascinating that he had given up all other 

 shooting. I did not actually see any fish caught 

 in this way, and I was not at Mari in the right 

 season of the year ; but the arrow was fired at my 

 request into the water, and the gear appeared 

 to work well. 



The Indian is often a tremendously keen shikari, 

 though he is not very sportsmanlike, according 

 to our ideas, in his methods. His object is to 

 bag the animal, fish, or bird he is in pursuit of ; 

 and it appears to him to be folly to give the 

 prey a chance to escape. The most fastidious 

 of sportsmen, however, could not take exception 

 to Waris's methods. 



