HUNTING IN THE HIMALAYAS. 
Lights and Shades of an Indian Forester's Life.—Ill. 
I REACHED the plains by the end of October, and 
i pitched my camp by the sacred city of Hurdwar, a city 
inhabited by men and monkeys in about equal numbers, Be- 
tween the adnli population of both races there appeared to 
be a perfectly good understanding, but between the boys and 
_ the monkeys there was not so much a peace asa perpetual 
armed truce, ready to break out into petty hostilities at any 
moment, and as an impartial observer, Iam bound to admit 
that the monkeys were not infrequently the aggressors, The 
Hurdwar boy when he comes into the street with anything 
eajable in his hand, takes good care not to stand near the 
houses with his back to the wall, but even in the middle of 
the street he knows that the eyes of all the monkey popula- 
tion are waiching him from every roof and rail, and other 
yantage ground; but with all his precautions the boy is 
sometimes off his guard, the monkeys never; and let the boy 
become fora moment indifferent to what is passing behind 
him, some enterprising monkey is sure to steal up and make 
a dash at the coveted morsel, Well, the monkeys ure ser- 
vants of the god Humaiyoon, and the Hindoo may be a mon- 
key himself some day, so he t¥eats his hairy brother con- 
siderately, 
I pitched my camp here in the comparatively open coun- 
iry, forthe feyer king still reigns in the Sewaliks, and it is 
not held safe to venture into its recesses before the 15th of 
November, and further, it was a good point from which to 
take stock of allthe vailway ties collected at the various 
eatchine depots on the Ganges, and to hunt up the consider- 
alle number that, coming down in freshets, when the river 
overflowed the country for miles, had been left stranded in 
the low jungles, and sometimes misappropriated by the vill- 
agers, 
I had been here some two or three days, when I thought 
. it time to get rid of my three cows which had gone dry, and 
of my three yearling, and three two year old calves. I had 
to keep a man specially for them and buy fodder, and was 
vetting tired of it, They would haye been slaughtered in 
the summer, but being in independent Hindoo territory, I 
dared not haye committed such a sacrilege. I knew, too, 
that the Hurdwar people, althongh in British territory, had 
very decided opinions on the same subject, and preferring 
Always to leave a favorable impression behind me, I thought 
it betler to dispose of my cattle and confine myself to my 
muttons, varied by such game as my rifle and fowling piece 
might provide, so I sent into the city and gaye public notice 
of the intended sale for the next day. A dozen or more 
dealers and merchants attended to the summons, but although 
my cows were of the purest blood and snow whife,-the 
natives thought I was at their niercy in the matter of price, 
and had agreed to offer me no more than a third the market 
value. J sent them away and in the evening, when all was 
quict, I called the herdsman, who was 4, Malomedan and a 
competent butcher, and ordered him to get up at daylight 
and slaurhter a two year old steer, 'The-servants, who were 
all] Mahomedans or low caste, smiled, they expected a row, 
ut they also expected that I should come out of it un- 
seathed, and when I turned out atter my morning’s coftee I 
saw the herdsman dressing the carcass, 
LT stayed at home to await vesults, and about 9 o’cleck my 
behrah came to report that the district magistrate—a Mussel- 
man and the head men of the city wanted to sce me. I 
ordered them to be ushered in, received them all with spe- 
cial courtesy, pointed the Magistrate and the chief Brahmin 
to chairs, and apologizing to some other natives presumably 
entitled to the same courtesy for the scantiness of my camp 
furniture, begged them to make themselves at ease on the 
carpet, on which they all seated themselves on their haunches, 
Turning to the Magistrate, | made particular inquiries after 
his health, and he seeing that he would get into difficulties 
with the Hindoos if he appeared too cordial with me, being 
moreover divided between the necessity of upholding his 
magisterial dignity on one hand and the equal necessity of 
being respectful to an English officer in my position, hast- 
tened over the preliminary conversation to tell me that the 
wliole city had been shocked by the report that L had killed 
an ox within its limits, and that the headman had summoned 
him io iuyestigate it. I listened patiently to his speech, and 
then, turning to the Hindoos, I said, gravely and calmly; 
‘You see, gentlemen, every nation has its own customs, and 
the people of one country justify what in anotber country is 
considered an offeuse. For the ordinary traveler it is desir- 
able that when he visits a new country he should study the 
habits and prejudices of the people he finds himself among 
ajid conform to them in every mater, but we English have 
oecupied this country for more than a century; we have 
made it our home, and we act on our own opinions as 
freely as In our own country, and you all know that 
we eat oxen, and that the flesh is exposed in 
the markets of the European stations all over the country. 
For my own pari ialways like to consider the feelings of 
others, and a day ortwo since, when I was about to have a 
steer killed, it occurred to me that some of the people of this 
yery religious city might be offended, and rather than give 
offense 1 had the news publicly proclaimed in the city that 
1 would sell the cattle, Some merchants came and offered 
me a third of the value, snd thinking I must have been mis- 
taken as to the sentiment of ihe people of the city, | had one 
killed.” ‘*But, sir,” said the chief Hindoo, “the Lord Sahib 
long ago passed orders in reply to onr petition that no cattle 
should be killed nor carcass brought within two miles of 
Hurdwar,” Turning, with a tone of grave rebuke to the 
Magistrate, 1 said; ‘‘Tehsildar Sabib—I ought to have been 
informed of this, You know that we English, equally with 
you Mahomedansg, are allowed by our religion to eat beef; 
you know that we are in the constant habit of deing so; and 
seeing me come a stranger fo the place it was certainly your 
clear duty to put’ me on my guard against an action which 
not only isan offense to these worthy Hindoos, but which 
misunderstood is calculated to make the citizens believe that 
although the Lord Sahib gave the order,-he allows his officers 
to break it with impunity.” Having thus turned the tables 
on the Magisirate, | paused for a reply, but he was speech- 
less; his countenance presented a most lugubrious expres- 
sion; so grayely expressing my regret to the Hindoas for the 
mistake I had inadvertently been led into, I requested them 
to explain to the citizens that I had received no intimation 
on the subject; and then rising gave permission to depart. 
The Hindoos behaved in perfect femper, and told the Magis- 
trate that the fault was his. 
Getting outside and congratulating myself on having got 
through very well so far, | began again, “But, gentlemen, 
what shall do with these cattle; they are in prime condi- 
tion aud fit to kill, the cows are good milkers, but as they 
are useless to me, I shall have to kill them when I get into 
. 
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FOREST AND STREAM. 
the forest, butas you hold their lives sacred, are there no 
people in the city who would care to redeem them from the 
knife? You are men of-standing and know the value of the 
animals, fix a price and let the citizens take them. I leave 
the matter in your bands.” In ten minutes I got a fair price 
for my cattle, and the herdsman drove them off. As the 
left, I addressed the Magistrate smilingly, saying: ‘Well, 
Tehsildar Sahib, we have got over the difficulty with the 
rice eaters without unpleasantness; the beast was killed by a 
Mussulman aud is in prime condition, you have only to say 
which is your favorite joint and I will have it sent down in 
the evening.” Thus, with a little display of tact, I got a 
fair price for my catile, a supply of fresh and pickled beef 
for my camp, read the Tehsildar a homily for neglecting to 
pay his respects on my arrival, and at the same time estah- 
ane amicable relations with him and all the people of the 
city, 
While taking lyncheon at 2 o’clock I ordered the how- 
dah to be pluced on the elephant, and as soon as he was 
ready I set out for some cover three or four miles distant, 
where J expected to find some birds. The road lay through 
a scantily stocked forest with a strong undergrowth of 
prickly Asiphus, on mounds which formed a favorite cover 
for small pigs and hare. 
Beating these for hare I put up several half-grown porkers, 
but did not fire as 1 had plenty of meat in camp. 1 bagged 
a brace of hare on the way, and reaching the grass cover I 
beat it for an hour, and succeeded in bagging two brace of 
black partridge and a young peafowl, after which I started 
for home, About a mile from my camp I came to a few 
huts where I found my shepherd, who announced the un- 
pleasant news that while srazing’ my little flock of sheep, 
then reduced to seyen, a panther had charged in and killed 
two or three, when his own shouts and the shouting of some 
Villagers near by had frightened the beast off; the sheep that 
escaped had vanished into the jungle. Taking the shepherd 
and some villagers along with me to the scene of the slaugh- 
ter, | found three dead sheep, one of which was tolerably 
close fo a tree suitable for building a mechan or perch on, and 
with the aid of some light poles and small rope the villagers 
soon had a perch built for me, about twenty feet froni the 
ground, Olimbing into this from the howdah, I had the 
other two sheep secured on the elephant, and as there was 
no moon I told the mahout to return for me soon after 
dusk, and meantime to take the shepherd along with him 
and search for the living sheep. The panther must have 
been near enough to hear the noise, for the elephant was 
still visible from my perch less than half a mile distant, 
when I saw the panther walking boldly toward me about 
a hundred yards on my left. Adyancing twenty yards he 
disappeared behind a clump of zisiphus, but he failed to 
reappear at the near end of it, and [ feared that he had 
caught sight of me and yanished, 1 dared not turn my body 
or fhe noise would have disturbed him, but I twisted my 
head as far as possible—in vain. I must have sat therea full 
half hour, not venturing to stir, scarcely daring to breathe, 
when I concluded decidedly that he had seen me and would 
not return before night. I moved slightly, for the one posi- 
tion had become insupportable, when the beast stepped out 
from under the tree, and with one spring was on his prey. 
I did not feel disposed to fire at bis quarters, although he 
was only twenty yards from me, and waited for him to offer 
me a broadside; but he quietly picked up the sheep and 
walked letsurely away, I let him goa few paces and fired; 
with a yell hedropped on his'haunehes, but managed to 
drag himself forward at a quick pace, and by the time I had 
eovered him again he was disappearing behind a clump of 
zisiphus. I fired, but was unable to determine with what 
effect. I neither saw nor heard anything more of him; so, 
loading my pipe, I sat up to a quiet smoke pending the arri- 
val of my elephant, which did not turn up until the night 
had closed in. 
“The villagers told me you had fired, Sahib,” said the 
mahout, as 1 seated myself in the howdah. 1 confirmed the 
report, and added that the beast was badly wounded, but 
that we would leave the final settlement until daylight. A 
wounded panther brought to bay is more ready to charge an 
elephant than a tiger is, and although I thought my beast 
was disabled from springing, | did not care to be present at 
an encounter between my elephant and a wounded! panther, 
and the night too dark for me to cut in, so we plodded home 
to dinner. 
The elephant was ready belimes in the morning, and as 
soon as I had despatched my coffee I was in the howdah and 
away. We beat round a good <ircle without coming on him, 
and then went hack and took up the blood trail, which 
brought us at about three hundred yards to a dry, disused 
canal cut, fringed with wild saccharum about eight or ten 
feet high. Putting the elephant into the ditch, we beat it up 
about a quarter of a mile without result, then gol out, went 
back to the spot at which we had entered it and beat up the 
other way. We had not got more than fifty yards when a 
furious grow! almost at our feet proclaimed the presence of 
the foe. I could not see him for the tall grass that spread 
from bank to bank of the ditch at the spot, and the continued 
growling convinced my that the beast had all the will, but 
not the power to spring. Satisfied of this, I told the mahout 
to back the elephant half a dozen paces. This he did, the 
panther still growling but not advancing. ‘‘I can see him 
now,” said the mahout, ‘‘seated on his haunches,” ‘‘Make the 
élephant sit down,” I ordered, and this being done, I too was 
able to see something of the beast through the reeds, and 
fired. The shot took effect, as I judged from the violent 
cursing in which the panther indulged. I saw him fali over 
too, but could not make ont whether he was moying away 
or struggling only. 
Giving the word, the elephant rose to his feet, got out of 
the ditch, and making for the spot where we still heard the 
panther, threw his trunk round the tufts of wild saccharum 
and Jaid them low, revealing the panther in his last struggle. 
The elephant was now too excited to keep quiet and was with 
difficulty restrained from taking the principal part, with the 
result ihat my next shot was a yard off the mark, and, find- 
ing it impossible to steady him, I dismounted and stepped 
into the ditch. The panther was about five yards from me, 
with his tail toward me; but his head was up, and, dropping 
on one knee to get clear of the grass, I gave him a ball in the 
back of the neck, which finished him, The mahout then 
took the elephant to the spot, made him mow down the grass 
with his trunk,and explained to him that the panther was dead, 
a fact of which the elephant satisfied himself by touching the 
careass with his trunk. The three of us—tor Lalways hada 
handy man in the back seat of the howdah—next hitched a 
rope to the panther, and made the elephant drag him out of 
the ditch, when, finding that he was quite dead, we hoisted 
him to the rump of the elephant, by means of a couple of 
small pulleys fastened to the howdah, ard started for home. 
While the elephant had been displaying excitement and 
refusing to stand still whilel fired, the mahout had employed 
most injuriously reproachful if not actually abusive language 
toward him, He called him ‘‘a pig-headed, obstinate, no- 
mam person, the bastard son of a pig,” prodding him in the 
back of the head with his heavy prickers at every word, and 
now that both were cool the mahout began to talk quietly to 
him about the impropriety and folly of his conduct. ‘The 
elephant displays so much intelligence and is so apt at learn- 
ing anything required of him; he remembers distinctly so 
many words of command that.a mahout speaks of his ele- 
phant as understanding Hindoostani in the same sense as if 
he were speaking of a foreigner. ‘‘He understands Hindoo- 
stani,” said my mahout in reference to this same elephant, — 
“as well as you or do, but they are obstinate sometimes and 
wont do what you tell them to,” 
Three of my muttons had turned up at the camp shortly 
after I left, and some days later the fourth was recovered. 
The two dead sheep sent home the night before were made 
over to my sweeper, who gave a grand dinner to all his caste 
men. The panther skin was a very handsome one, but it 
had cost me dear. 
Glatiyal History. 
A HUMMING BIRD COMBAT. 
AY, HILE out collecting near Aurora, N. Y., I noticed a 
hedge of lilac bushes, and attracted by the delicious 
odor I seated myself near them and partook of my Inveli. I 
had just finished and was preparing to continue my walk 
when a singular twittering, not unlike that of the blackcap 
titmouse, arrested my attention. Looking up I discovered a 
fine male ruby-throated humming bird, almost within reach 
of my hand, He cireled uneasily for a few moments then 
alighted on a decayed twig, within three feet of me, and 
began to arrange his plumage. I remained very quiet and 
he did not seem to notice me until I made a sudden motion 
with my head. In an instant he was out of sight, but soon 
returned with his mate, and after a few half suspicious 
glances at me hovered above the branch for a few seconds; 
then closing their wings both birds grasped the branch with 
their little feet. While observing them, [ noticed a small, 
dark shadow coming toward them and suddenly the stillness 
was broken by a succession of sounds, which very much re- 
sembled a swarm of bees; aud then another male bird dashed 
down and made a savage lunge with his beak. But the first 
bird was not to be caught so easily. : He sprang lightly from 
the limb and the other came in contact with another limb 
and almost stunned himself, he recovered sufficiently to grasp 
the limb near the other’s mate, When the first bird saw this 
he dashed at his rival with the fury of a miniature whirl- 
wind; and the ruby and green feathers fairly showered to 
the ground, The female looked as unconcerned as if they 
were not present. After a few minutes of battle, both com- 
hatants dropped to the ground. One flew ajay, but as he 
acted very strange I think his eye was pierced by the sharp 
beak of his adversary. ‘The other returned to his mate, a 
very sad-looking bird. His tail feathers were gone and his 
beautiful throat was full of blemishes, but he was far from 
being conquered as his scornful twitter showed, 
Onas. C. TRUBSDELL, JR, 
SyrAcuse. N, ¥. 
THE BIRDS AGAIN. 
Hditor Forest and Stream: 
“Wilmot” is mistaken. If hé will carefully read my 
article again he will see that I said nothing about *‘ten 
berries.” A short time ago I had a lively tilt with some 
‘hird lovers” through the columns of the New York Av 
aminer. After the smoke of the battle had cleared away, 
the inclosed article, from the pen of a well-known horticul- 
turist, appeared. I think it hit my critics in the flank, 
Please Jet ‘‘Wilmot” see it. PICKET. 
The article, by T. H. Hoskins, M.D., is as follows: 
“JT admire the spirit of those who defend the birds. They 
belong to the class who help to make life worth living by 
‘their geniality of spirit and their abhorrence of bloodshed. 
They are a force in the world, and in many respects a force 
for the good; but for all that, they are not safe people to put 
in the jury-box to try criminals, Their bias is eyen greater 
than the law requires on the side of the accused. And 
worse than all, they are apt to regard beautiful plumage and 
a swect song as an ofiset to proved offenses. 
“Ti, seems to me that in discussing the question of the right 
to life of the animal races, in opposition to human interests, 
the just judge will utterly exclude the items of beauty and 
sweetness, The vat has just as much right to live as the 
robin, and the woodchuck as the squirrel, If we may 
destroy one as a nuisance, we may the other, To he sure, 
as regards ourselves, we may give weight to agreeable quali- 
ties, and on selfish grounds may spare the beautsful and 
sweéet-singing birds, while we destroy the no more harmful 
crows. But if we do so, Jet us recognize the nature of our 
motive, and not flatter ourselves that it is not selfish, 
“J like to see the robins on the lawn; I like their song, 
and that of the catbird and thrushes. It is painful for me to 
destroy them, and 1 cannot myself separate distinctly the 
reasons why it is so, without much self-analysis. I will en- 
dure far more loss from them than fram crows or blackbirds, 
before I will shoot. Anditisso with the lively squirrels. 
But when (as happens in some years) we have an inyasion of 
squitrels, and they swarm in the: barn, the cellar and eyen 
in the store-room, I not only shoot but poison, and console 
myself with thinking that if I do nol they must starve from 
the excessive increase which has driven them to unaccus- 
tomed burglary. 
“Tf, then, one has had his love for the pleasing birds 
chilled by their costly depredations, it seems to me that il is 
quite as natural and right for him to kill them as to trap 
gophers, rats or moles. The only question is, Is there any 
doubt about the question of injury? Here the bird-lovyers 
(usually not fruit-growers) join issue with those who would 
destroy the depredators, and in doing so they are very likely 
to tamper with the facts. Hundreds of writers insist that 
the yellow-bellied woodpecker (‘sap-sucker’) is after worms 
when he pecks those regular ranks of holes adown the trunks 
of ourappleand cherry trees, and upon the beeches, birches, 
poplars, firs and pines of the forest. Nobody has ever 
proved this, and it 1s essentially improbable that the larvee 
of any insect exist beneath the apparently healthy bark of 
so many different species in such regular lines, horizontal and 
perpendicular. As to the frequent assertion that the robin 
picks only the wormy cherries, it is proved to be untrue by 
