A Story of War

I arrive back with Wilkes to find Douglas has fixed for me to go and stay with Gouldsburys at Yellaputti and shoot. I come up on Monday and go back today – Wednesday. The old man takes me out the first evening but we only see a couple of wild pigs. Next morning I go out with a shikari after Nilgiri blue pidgin and I miss two. I see three Malabar red squirrels and take a long shot with the shotgun at it. Much coughing and a barking deer, or jungle sheep. comes rushing down and past me. I get my first leech bites despite an extra pair of socks and spraying with some potent concoction of the old man’s. I see another barking deer creep out of the jungle into the tea, but too far away. On the last evening I go out with the shikaru but there is mist and rain and visibility is only 30 feet at times. Just before dark a Sambhar leaps across our path and down through the tea and we later see him nibbling the shade trees, at least the shikari does, and I can just make him out about 180 feet away in the dim light. I let off my Mauser but it’s downhill and I miss.

Last night the old man gets me a bit pickled on gin after dinner. He was with 5 G.R. in Mespotamia and Ramadi which I know so well. This morning I look at horses and go off for a walk with the daughter of the house Phillipa – no, Philippa (encouraged to do so by Mama I think.) Beautiful country, 6500 feet up.