et, are
impracticable to European troops. Many of these rock fortresses were at
various times the headquarters of famous Dacoit leaders, and unless the
summits happened to be commanded from some higher ground within gunshot
range they were all but impregnable, except by starvation. When driven
to bay, these fellows would fight well.

"Well, about the time I joined, the Dacoits were unusually troublesome;
the police had a hard time of it, and almost lived in the saddle, and
the cavalry were constantly called up to help them, while detachments of
infantry from the station were under canvas at several places along the
top of the Ghauts to cut the bands off from their strongholds, and to
aid, if necessary, in turning them out of their rock fortresses. The
natives in the valleys at the foot of the Ghauts, who have always been
a semi-independent race, ready to rob whenever they saw a chance,
were great friends with the Dacoits and supplied them with provisions
whenever the hunt on the Deccan was too hot to make raids in that
direction.

"This is a long introduction, you will say, and does not seem to have
much to do with bears; but it is really necessary, as you will see. I
had joined about six months when three companies of the regiment were
ordered to relieve a wing of the 15th, who had been under canvas at a
village some four miles to the north of the point where the line crosses
the top of the Ghauts. There were three white officers, and little
enough to do, except when a party was sent off to assist the police.
We had one or two brushes with the Dacoits, but I was not out on either
occasion. However, there was plenty of shooting, and a good many pigs
about, so we had very good fun. Of course, as a raw hand, I was very hot
for it, and as the others had both passed the enthusiastic age, except
for pig sticking and big game, I could always get away. I was supposed
not to go far from camp, because in the first place, I might be wanted;
and, in the second, because of the Dacoits; and Norworthy, who was in
command, used to impress upon me that I ought not to go beyond the sound
of a bugle. Of course we both knew that if I intended to get any sport
I must go further afoot than this; but I merely used to say 'All
right, sir, I will keep an ear to the camp,' and he on his part never
considered it necessary to ask where the game which appeared on the
table came from. But in point of fact, I never went very far, and
my servant al