und it alive with thousands of duck. They were very
wary though, and kept far out of range and wouldn't rise. We had
not time for rafting or boating, so got on to the trolly again, and
back to our home on the siding; and some snipe were plucked before
I'd found my pencil. You should see how neat these servants are
with their fingers. Here is a jotting of the operation--I think
I've got the movement of their rather weak-looking hands. They are
sitting on the track beside the kitchen part of the carriage.

"I wish very much both R. and I could spare a little more time for
this pastime, "but one canna dae a' thing," as they say at St.
Abbs, and R. has to attend to Royal preparations south--thus has
the honour and glory of serving his country and his King--I am
trying to see where my Ego scores, but don't--I miss a half-day's
shooting. But the little we had, was astonishingly interesting
though it wasn't very long. Now we have a day and a night home
again--a hundred miles to a snipe shoot, my longest journey in
proportion to the size of the shoot; but no distance at all
compared with its novelty and interest.

... Drew most of the way home, cows, aloes, trees, women's figures,
men's ditto, dogs, goats, palms, etc., etc. It passes the time and
does no harm that I wot of.

All pleasures but the Artist's bring
"I' th' tail repentance like a sting."

"Home to Bangalore and the rehearsal of our adventures to our
better halves, and talk--well into the night, which means here
about 11.30! Then to bed at once, for R. has to start early with
his Chief in the morning, he is coming from the Central Office at
Dharwar; to test bridges and things in Mysore, to see they are
strong enough, for they say there are twenty English valets coming
in the Royal train!"

It rained heavily all night, and this morning the sky was overcast, and
already we, who have been in India only a few weeks, feel almost vexed
that it is not sunny. In the morning we went to the Residency to call--a
strange hour to call at, one of the things in India nobody can
understand--as reasonable as top hats and frock coats in Calcutta. It is
a very fine Embassy indeed--palace, perhaps, you might almost call it,
with a nice air of official dignity that comes from the Lion and the
Unicorn in the front of the house above th