Pig'Sticking 33 



but the fine old grizzlies, deer, and bison, have 

 come to be gradually wiped out, most effectively, 

 alas ! by the native " trappers " and others, for the 

 sake of their skins. South Africa was a serious rival, 

 but her day, although it has been a brilliant one, must 

 be confessed to have passed its best. Elephant, rhino, 

 and lion fall before the improved breechloaders ; and 

 the survivors, slow-breeding animals, fail to restock 

 the country in anything like adequate proportion to 

 the numbers slain. India is to the shikari still The 

 Land of Promise. But unless the great nullahs of 

 Kashmir are more strictly preserved, unless, throughout 

 the Central Provinces particularly, the native village 

 shikari is prevented from killing every head of game 

 he can lay his hands on, it only means a matter of 

 time for India to be " shot out." 



Leaving Kapurthalah, we returned to Mian Mir, 

 just in time for a few terribly wet days. 



It did come on to blow and rain to boot, 

 That Noah's flood was but a spoonful to't. 



It was our first experience of Oriental rain, and the 

 mud, after it was all over, was a revelation. M. 

 and I were very anxious to go round Lahore native 

 city on an elephant, and finally the commissariat let 

 us have two hartis out of the lines, where I had 

 often seen them in their abnormally tall loose-boxes. 

 We drove to the city, along the main approach to 

 Lahore, a straight road like a bar of dusty iron, and 

 shaded by the dustiest of dusty tamarisk-trees, for 



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