PERSONAL KIT 207 



cloak. The other man carries at one end of his 

 bamboo my food for the day, packed into a 

 small ' degchie,' with lid, and tied up in a duster. 

 At the other end is a thermos flask (containing 

 hot tea), and odds and ends of his own, probably 

 his food, cheroots, &c. The two trackers are 

 thus absolutely unhampered, carrying nothing, 

 except perhaps a ' dah ' between them. When I 

 am not carrying my rifle myself, they take it in 

 turn to do so. Thus equipped one is prepared 

 for the longest day, and even a night out if needs 

 be. The coolies, if intelligent men, are often 

 very useful in picking up lost tracks ; and, as all 

 are barefooted, they move through the jungle 

 as quietly as mice. When getting near the 

 animal they are warned to follow behind at a 

 hundred yards' distance. 



As regards the food carried with one, it is as 

 well to take sufficient to last out a long day, and 

 of as appetising a quality as possible. A thick 

 slice of cheese and a hunk of bread may be 

 excellent fare for a day's rough shooting in 

 England or Ireland, and many a time have I 

 gone the whole day on such provender, and 

 asked for no better. But in the tropics one 

 is not possessed by that keen, healthy appetite 

 which assails one in the temperate zone. A 

 faint sinking takes the place of a healthy hunger, 

 and while there is a craving for nourishment, 

 the stomach refuses to be propitiated by too 



