Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



and small-game shooting that can be had in the 

 vicinity of most stations, and do not bother about 

 a sport that entails more time, perhaps more 

 cash, and a comparatively solitary existence for 

 a while. 



I, for my part, never thought about it much 

 during my first eighteen months in the East, and 

 took my first leave in visiting Japan while the 

 brother officer with whom I shared a bungalow 

 went to Cashmir. I returned with some little 

 curios, of which I felt ashamed when he produced 

 some magnificent red and black bearskins. 



In January, 1895, having safely steered through 

 that formidable ordeal, the annual inspection by 

 the Inspector-General of Cavalry, I got leave for 

 a fortnight, and made what was practically my 

 debut at big-game shooting. I hadn't much idea 

 whether I should be keen on it or not, but went 

 mainly because I was invited by a cheery sports- 

 man to join what I was sure would be a delightful 

 Christmas party it was a Christmas party, though 

 postponed a month, as the jungle was late in 

 "thinning " that year. 



The locality was the Nepaul Terai, the great 

 forest belt to the south of Nepaul, typical Indian 

 jungle, which could only be properly negotiated 

 on elephants. 



A night journey from Meerut took me to 

 Lucknow, whence, after a tedious wait, I got a 



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