In an Indian Jungle 



train at 5 p.m. which took me slowly, very 

 slowly, away from civilization, and by the time 

 it was dark we were travelling through the un- 

 trodden jungles, which cannot fail to arouse 

 keenness in the most unsporting breast. 



At midnight I, having made up my mind to 

 keep awake in case of accidents, was sleeping 

 soundly when my bearer came along to my carriage 

 and announced, "Lukhimpur, sahib." This was 

 the place where, according to instructions, I was 

 to alight. I grabbed my rifles and jumped out, 

 leaving all other minor impedimenta to my 

 servant. The next thing, again according to 

 instructions, was to look for a " doolie-dak." 

 What that might be I had no notion, but found 

 myself and my kit gathered up, so to speak, in 

 the darkness and hurried outside the station by 

 numerous attentive black men. Here lay the 

 " doolie-dak," a sort of portable couch with cur- 

 tains all round ; so, leaving my body-servant and 

 baggage to come on as best they could, I squeezed 

 myself into it, taking one rifle to bed with me 

 in case of any unusual occurrence. Eight coolies, 

 working four at a time, then bore me off into the 

 night at a jog-trot, humming a monotonous chant 

 meanwhile. I had not the remotest idea where I 

 was going, but thought I don't know why that 

 I should reach my destination very soon. The 

 wish, perhaps, was father to the thought, as I was 



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