I 4 2 SPORT AND TRAVEL 



English tan boots, and brilliant golf-stockings, but 

 in white robes, and red slippers which turned up at 

 the ends like the bow of a gondola. Having no 

 extra knives, we were at a loss to know what sort of 

 a present to give him, but at last tried ten shot-car- 

 tridges, which he received with the most evident 

 delight, and we took leave at once. 



As we proceeded down through the valleys we 

 were, it seemed, moving gradually from winter to 

 spring and from spring to full-blown summer as 

 mellow and fragrant a summer as ever made life 

 doubly worth living. The wheat was higher in the 

 fields, the apricot blossoms had given place to full- 

 formed fruit, the birds were of the most brilliantly 

 colored plumage and seemed to fill everything with 

 their song. Every village was a little paradise in it- 

 self. And though the midday was as warm as could 

 be without making our marches uncomfortable, the 

 nights and early mornings were always crisp and 

 delicious. 



Thus far we had had little or no trouble with our 

 men. The shikaris and chota-shikaris who, as our 

 slight knowledge of Hindustanee improved, we were 

 coming to know better, seemed like hard-working 

 men, efficient in camp and always respectful. That 

 they would cheat us in small ways over the money 

 for supplies, etc., we had foreseen before starting, 



