Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



camp, and when asked where I'd been, said, " Oh, 

 just out for a look round," whereupon I was 

 warned of the dangers of going out alone at dusk. 

 I fully realized them ! A few nights after, the 

 talk came round after dinner to the noise a large 

 peacock makes in the jungle, particularly at roost- 

 ing time, and an experienced sportsman tells a 

 tale so similar to my adventure that I take 

 heart and own up ! 



Our small game on this trip consisted mostly 

 of pea-fowl, swamp partridge, hare, and an 

 occasional florican. 



My fortnight's leave was all too soon up ; and 

 one morning the line of elephants drew up at a 

 little railway line that runs into the forest for 

 carrying timber, and I and my belongings were 

 deposited in a first-class carriage that my host, 

 who seemed to work everything by magic, had 

 conjured up. We were hooked on to a timber 

 train and started for Bareilly. 



The train crawled through the forest, and 

 though I had till about 1 a.m. next morning in 

 which to catch another at Bareilly, I sometimes 

 doubted if it would be done. The guard, how- 

 ever, frequently came along the footboard to 

 inquire the time of me, and then disappeared 

 again in the direction of the engine, presumably 

 to urge the driver to fresh efforts. I always put 

 on half an hour or so for safety, and we did 



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