140 A Sportswoman in India 



excellent. A blancmange followed a savoury of 

 sardines, and we wound up with biscuits and cheese. 



We sat round the camp afterwards, well wrapped 

 up, talking of our adventures to-day and to-morrow's 

 plans. One of the best parts of travelling consists 

 in all that it gives one afterwards to look back 

 upon. 



So with the friends whom death hath spared, 



When life's career is done, 

 We'll talk of the dangers we have shared 



And the trophies we have won. 



Talking about carelessness and slackness over shoot- 

 ing, almost the same thing which had happened 

 to S. happened to M. while after tahr. She was 

 toiling along, lazily allowing the shikari to carry 

 her rifle, when suddenly an ibex appeared on the sky- 

 line only about eighty yards from her. He stood 

 perfectly motionless and had a good look. Tableau ! 

 As he nipped round and was off like a flash, M. dashed 

 at her rifle and had two shots at him. The moral 

 is obvious ; but, cui bono ? As long as human nature 

 lasts the same thing will happen. 



I have often wondered how one would define a real 

 sportswoman, and I think any definition should include 

 an appreciation of the free camp life such as ours. 

 It might run thus : " a fair shot, considering others, 

 and never doing an unsportsmanlike action, preferring 

 quality to quantity in a bag, a keen observer of all 

 animals, and a real lover of nature." 



As we left Chamba we picked up Sphai on the third 



