nning
through the loose chinks and crevices of the walls, in the morning
when anyone went into the place for the first time; this was at a
factory called Rajpore. Pat came to the conclusion, that as the
blacksmith's fires smouldered some time after work was discontinued at
night, and as the atmosphere of the hut was warmer and more genial
than the cold, foggy, outside air, for it was in the cold season, the
quail probably took up their quarters in the hut for the night, on
account of the warmth and shelter. One night therefore he got some of
his servants, and with great caution and as much silence as possible,
they let down a quantity of nets all round the lobarkhanna, and in the
morning they captured about twenty quails.

The quail is very pugnacious, and as they are easily trained to fight,
they are very common pets with the natives, who train and keep them to
pit them against each other, and bet what they can afford on the
result. A quail fight, a battle between two trained rams, a cock
fight, even an encounter between trained tamed buffaloes, are very
common spectacles in the villages; but the most popular sport is a
good wrestling match.

The dwellers in the Presidency towns, and indeed in most of the large
stations, seldom see an exhibition of this kind; but away in the
remote interior, near the frontier, it is very popular pastime, and
wrestling is a favourite with all classes. Such manly sport is rather
opposed to the commonly received idea at home, of the mild Hindoo. In
nearly every village of Behar however, and all along the borders of
Nepaul, there is, as a rule, a bit of land attached to the residence
of some head man, or the common property of the commune, set apart for
the practice of athletic sports, chief of which is the favourite
_khoosthee_ or wrestling. There is generally some wary old veteran,
who has won his spurs, or laurels, or belt, or whatever you choose to
call it, in many a hard fought and well contested tussle for the
championship of his little world; he is 'up to every dodge,' and knows
every feint and guard, every wile and tactic of the wrestling ground.
It is generally in some shady grove, secluded and cool; here of an
evening when the labours of the day are over, the most stalwart sons
of the hamlet meet, to test each others skill and endurance in a
friendly _shake_. The old man puts them through the preliminary
practice, shows them every trick at his command, and attends strictly
to