| CHAPTER I |
| A FRONTIER POST |
| PAGE |
| Our first view of the Himalayas—Across India in a troop |
| train—A scattered regiment—An elephant-haunted |
| railway—Kinchinjunga—The great Terai |
| Jungle—Rajabhatkawa—In the days of Warren |
| Hastings—Hillmen—Roving Chinese—We arrive at Buxa |
| Road—Relieved officers—An undesirable outpost—March through |
| the forest—The hills—A mountain road—Lovely scenery—Buxa |
| Duar—A lonely Station—The labours of an |
| Indian Army officer—Varied work—The frontier of |
| Bhutan—A gate of India—A Himalayan paradise—The |
| fort—Intrusive monkeys—The cantonment—The Picquet |
| Towers—The bazaar—The cemetery—Forgotten |
| graves—Tragedies of loneliness—From Bhutan to the |
| sea | 1 |
|
| CHAPTER II |
| LIFE ON OUTPOST |
|
| The daily routine—Drill in the Indian Army—Hindustani—A |
| lingua franca—The divers tongues of India—The |
| sepoys' lodging—Their ablutions—An Indian's fare—An |
| Indian regiment—Rajput customs—The hospital—The |
| doctor at work—Queer patients—A vicious bear—The |
| Officers' Mess—Plain diet—Water—The simple |
| life—A bachelor's establishment—A faithful Indian—Fighting |
| the trusts—Transport in the hills—My bungalow—Amusements |
| in Buxa—Dull days—Asirgarh—A |
| lonely outpost—Poisoning a General—A storied fortress—Soldier |
| ghosts—A spectral officer—The tragedy of |
| isolation—A daring panther—A day on an elephant—Sport |
| in the jungle—Gooral stalking in the hills—Strange |
| pets—A friendly deer—A terrified visitor—A |
| walking menagerie—Elephants tame and wild—Their |
| training—Their caution—Their rate of speed—Fondness |
| for water—Quickly reconciled to captivity—Snakes—A |
| narrow escape—A king-cobra; the hamadryad—Hindu |
| worship of the cobra—General Sir Hamilton |
| Bower—An adventurous career—E. F. Knight—The |
| General's inspection | 19 |
|
| CHAPTER III |
| THE BORDERLAND OF BHUTAN |
|
| The races along our North-East Border—Tibet—The |
| Mahatmas—Nepal—-Bhutan—Its geography—Its founder—Its |
| Government—Religious rule—Analogy between |
| Bhutan and old Japan—Penlops and Daimios—The |
| Tongsa Penlop—Reincarnation of the Shaptung |
| Rimpoche—China's claim to Bhutan—Capture of the |
| Maharajah of Cooch Behar—Bogle's mission—Raids |
| and outrages—The Bhutan War of 1864-5—The Duars—The |
| annual subsidy—Bhutan to-day—Religion—An |
| impoverished land—Bridges—Soldiers in Bhutan—The |
| feudal system—Administration of justice—Tyranny of |
| officials—The Bhuttias—Ugly women—Our neighbours |
| in Buxa—A Bhuttia festival—Archery—A banquet—A |
| dance—A Scotch half-caste—Chunabatti—Nature of the |
| borderland—Disappearing rivers—The Terai—Tea gardens—A |
| planter's life—The club—Wild beasts in the |
| path—The Indian planters—Misplaced sympathy—The |
| tea industry—Profits and losses—Planters' salaries—Their |
| daily life—Bhuttia raids on tea gardens—Fearless |
| planters—An unequal fight | 45 |
|
| CHAPTER IV |
| A DURBAR IN BUXA |
|
| Notice of the Political Officer's approaching visit—A |
| Durbar—The Bhutan Agent and the interpreter—Arrival |
| of the Deb Zimpun—An official call—Exchange of |
| presents—Bhutanese fruit—A return call—Native liquor—A |
| welcome gift—The Bhutanese musicians—Entertaining |
| the Envoy—A thirsty Lama—A rifle match—An |
| awkward official request—My refusal—The Deb Zimpun |
| removes to Chunabatti—Arrival of the treasure—The |
| Political Officer comes—His retinue—The Durbar—The |
| Guard of Honour—The visitors—The Envoy |
| comes in state—Bhutanese courtesies—The spectators—The |
| payment of the subsidy—Lunch in Mess—Entertaining |
| a difficult guest—The official dinner—An |
| archery match—Sikh quoits—Field firing—Bhutanese |
| impressed—Blackmail—British subjects captured—Their |
| release—Tashi's case—Justice in Bhutan—Tyranny |
| of officials—Tashi refuses to quit Buxa—The |
| next payment of the subsidy—The treaty—Misguided |
| humanitarians | 64 |
|
| CHAPTER V |
| IN THE JUNGLE |
|
| An Indian jungle—The trees—Creepers—Orchids—The |
| undergrowth—On an elephant in the jungle—Forcing |
| a passage—Wild bees—Red ants—A lost river—A |
| sambhur hind—Spiders—Jungle fowl—A |
| stag—Hallal—Wounded beasts—A halt—Skinning the |
| stag—Ticks—Butcher apprentices—Natural rope—Water in |
| the air—Pani bel—Trail of wild elephants—Their |
| habits—An impudent monkey—An adventure with a rogue |
| elephant—Fire lines—Wild dogs—A giant squirrel—The |
| barking deer—A good bag—Spotted deer—Protective |
| colouring—Dangerous beasts—Natives' dread of bears—A |
| bison calf—The fascination of the forest—The |
| generous jungle—Wild vegetables—Natural products—A |
| home in the trees—Forest Lodge the First—Destroyed |
| by a wild elephant—Its successor—A luncheon-party |
| in the air—The salt lick—Discovery of a coal mine—A |
| monkey's parliament—The jungle by night | 83 |
|
| CHAPTER VI |
| ROGUES OF THE FOREST |
|
| The lord of the forest—Wild elephants in India—Kheddah |
| operations in the Terai—How rogues are made—Rogues |
| attack villages—Highway robbers—Assault on |
| a railway station—A police convoy—A poacher's death—Chasing |
| an officer—My first encounter with a rogue—Stopping |
| a charge—Difficulty of killing an elephant—The |
| law on rogue shooting—A Government gazette—A |
| tame elephant shot by the Maharajah of Cooch |
| Behar—Executing an elephant—A chance shot—A |
| planter's escape—Attack on a tame elephant—The |
| mahout's peril—Jhansi's wounds—Changes among the |
| officers in Buxa—A Gurkha's terrible death—The |
| beginner's luck—Indian and Malayan sambhur—A shot |
| out of season—A fruitless search—Jhansi's flight—A |
| scout attacked by a bear—Advertising for a truant—The |
| agony column—Runaway elephants—A fatal fraud—Jhansi's |
| return | 104 |
|
| CHAPTER VII |
| A FIGHT WITH AN ELEPHANT |
|
| We sight a rogue—A sudden onslaught—A wild elephant's |
| attack—Shooting under difficulties—Stopping a rush—Repeated |
| attacks—An invulnerable foe—Darkness stops |
| the pursuit—A council of war—Picking up the trail—A |
| muckna—A female elephant—Photographing a lady—A |
| good sitter—A stampede—A gallant Rajput—Attacking |
| on foot—A hazardous feat—A narrow escape—Final |
| charge—A bivouac in the forest—Dangers of the night—A |
| long chase—Planter hospitality—Another stampede—A |
| career of crime—Eternal hope—A king-cobra—Abandoning |
| the pursuit—An unrepentant villain—In |
| the moment of danger | 124 |
|
| CHAPTER VIII |
| IN TIGER LAND |
|
| The tiger in India—His reputation—Wounded tigers—Man-eaters—Game |
| killers and cattle thieves—A tiger's |
| residence—Chance meetings—Methods of tiger hunting—Beating |
| with elephants—Sitting up—A sportsman's |
| patience—The charm of a night watch—A cautious |
| beast—A night over a kill—An unexpected visitor—A |
| tantalising tiger—A tiger at Asirgarh—A chance shot—Buffaloes |
| as trackers—Panthers—The wrong prey—A |
| beat for tiger—The Colonel wounds a tiger—A night |
| march—An elusive quarry—A successful beat—A watery |
| grave—Skinning a tiger | 141 |
|
|
| CHAPTER IX |
| A FOREST MARCH |
|
| Reasons for showing the flag—Soldierless Bengal—Planning |
| the march—Difficulties of transport—The first |
| day's march—Sepoys in the jungle—The water-creeper—The |
| commander loses his men—The bivouac at Rajabhatkawa—Alipur |
| Duar—A small Indian Station—Long-delayed |
| pay—The Subdivisional Officer—A dÂk bungalow—The |
| sub-judge—Brahmin pharisees—The nautch—A |
| dusty march—Santals—A mission settlement—Crossing |
| a river—Rafts—A bivouac in a tea garden—A |
| dinner-party in an 80-lb. tent—Bears at night—A |
| daring tiger—Chasing a tiger on elephants—In the |
| forest again—A fickle river—A strange animal—The |
| Maharajah of Cooch Behar's experiment—A scare and |
| a disappointment—Across the Raidak—A woman killed |
| by a bear—A planters' club—Hospitality in the jungle—The |
| zareba—Impromptu sports—The Alarm Stakes—The |
| raft race—Hathipota—Jainti | 174 |
|
| CHAPTER X |
| THROUGH FIRE AND WATER |
|
| India in the hot weather—A land of torment—The drought—Forest |
| fires—The cholera huts burned—Fighting the |
| flames—Death of a sepoy—The bond between British |
| officers and their men—The sepoy's funeral—A fortnight's |
| vigil—Saving the Station—The hills ablaze—A |
| sublime spectacle—The devastated forest—Fallen leaves |
| on fire—Our elephants' peril—Saving the zareba—A |
| beat for game in the jungle—Trying to catch a wild |
| elephant—A moonlight ramble—We meet a bear—The |
| burst of the Monsoons—A dull existence—Three hundred |
| inches of rain—The monotony of thunderstorms—A |
| changed world—Leeches—Monster hailstones—Surveyors |
| caught in a storm—A brink in the Rains—The |
| revived jungle—Useless lightning-conductors—The |
| Monsoon again—The loneliness of Buxa | 196 |
|
|
| CHAPTER XI |
| IN THE PALACE OF THE MAHARAJAH |
|
| The Durbar—Outside the palace—The State elephants—The |
| soldiery—The Durbar Hall—Officials and gentry of |
| the State—The throne—Queen Victoria's banner—The |
| hidden ladies—Purdah nashin—Arrival of the |
| Dewan—The Maharajah's entry—The Sons' Salute—A |
| chivalrous Indian custom—Nuzzurs—The Dewan's task—The |
| Maharani—An Indian reformer—Bramo Samaj—Pretty |
| princesses—An informal banquet—The nautch—A |
| moonlight ride—The Maharajah—A soldier and a |
| sportsman—Cooch Behar—The palace—A dinner-party—The |
| heir's birthday celebrations—Schoolboys' sports—Indian |
| amateur theatricals—An evening in the palace—A |
| panther-drive—Exciting sport—Death of the panther—Partridge |
| shooting on elephants—A stray rhinoceros—Prince |
| Jit's luck—Friendly intercourse between |
| Indians and Englishmen—An unjust complaint | 213 |
|
| CHAPTER XII |
| A MILITARY TRAGEDY |
|
| In the Mess—A gloomy conversation—Murder in the army—A |
| gallant officer—Running amuck on a rifle-range—"Was |
| that a shot?"—The alarm—The native officer's |
| report—The "fall in"—A dying man—A search round |
| the fort—A narrow escape—The flight—Search parties—The |
| inquiry into the crime—A fifty miles' cordon—An |
| unexpected visit—Havildar Ranjit Singh on the trail—A |
| night march through the forest—A fearsome ride—The |
| lost detachment—An early start—The ferry—The |
| prisoner—A well-planned capture—The prisoner's story—The |
| march to Hathipota—Return to the fort—A well-guarded |
| captive—A weary wait—A journey to Calcutta—The |
| escort—Excitement among the passengers on the |
| steamer—American globe-trotters—The court martial—A |
| callous criminal—Appeal to the Viceroy—Sentence of |
| death—The execution | 232 |
|
|
| CHAPTER XIII |
| IN AN INDIAN HILL STATION |
|
| To Darjeeling—Railway journeys in India—Protection for |
| solitary ladies—Reappearing rivers—Siliguri—At the |
| foot of the Himalayas—A mountain railway—Through |
| the jungle—Looping the loop—View of the |
| Plains—Darjeeling—Civilisation seven thousand feet |
| high—Varied types—View from the Chaurasta—White |
| workers in India—Life in Hill Stations—Lieutenant-Governors—A |
| "dull time" in Darjeeling—The bazaar—Types |
| of hill races—Turquoises—Tiger-skins for |
| tourists—The Amusement Club—The Everlasting |
| Snows—Kinchinjunga—The bachelors' ball—A Government |
| House ball—The marriage-market value of Indian |
| civilians—Less demand for military men—Theatricals—Lebong |
| Races—Picturesque race-goers—Ladies in |
| India—Husband hunters—The empty life of an Englishwoman—The |
| dangers of Hill Stations—A wife four |
| months in the year—The hills taboo for the |
| subaltern—Back to Buxa | 262 |
|
| CHAPTER XIV |
| A JUNGLE FORT |
|
| I decide on Fort Bower—Felling trees—A big python—Clearing |
| the jungle—Laying out the post—Stockades and |
| Sungars—The bastions—Panjis and |
| abattis—The huts—Jungle materials—Ingenious |
| craftsmen—The furniture—Sentry-posts—Alarm signals—The |
| machicoulis gallery—Booby-traps—The water-lifter—The |
| hospital—Chloroforming a monkey—Jungle dogs—An |
| extraordinary shot—An unlucky deer—A meeting with |
| a panther—The alarm—Sohanpal Singh and the tiger—Turning |
| out to the rescue—The General's arrival—Closed |
| gates—The inspection—The "Bower" and the |
| "'Ump"—Flares and bombs—The General's praise—Night |
| firing—A Christmas camp | 280 |
|
|
| CHAPTER XV |
| FAREWELL TO THE HILLS |
|
| The Proclamation Parade—An unsteady charger—"Three |
| cheers for the King-Emperor!"—The Indian Army's |
| loyalty—King George and the sepoys—A land held by |
| the sword—An American Cavalry officer's visit—Hospitality |
| of American officers—Killing by kindness—The |
| brotherhood of soldiers—The bond between American |
| and British troops sealed by blood—U.S. officers' |
| opinion of us—A roaring tiger—Prince Jitendra Narayen—His |
| visit to Buxa—An intoxicated monkey—Projected |
| visits—A road report—A sketch fourteen feet |
| long—The start—Jalpaiguri—A planters' dinner-party—Crossing |
| the Tista River—A quicksand—A narrow |
| escape—Map-making in the army—In the China War |
| of 1860—Officers' sketches used for the Canton Railway |
| survey—The country south of the hills—A sepoy's |
| explanation of Kinchinjunga—A native officer's theory |
| of the cause of earthquakes—Types on the road—After |
| the day's work—A man-eater—A brave postman—Human |
| beings killed by wild animals and snakes in |
| India—Crocodiles—Shooting a monster—Crocodiles on |
| land—Crossing the Torsa—Value of small detachments—The |
| maligned military officer—A life of examinations—The |
| man-killing elephant again—Death of a Bhuttia |
| woman—Ordered home—A last good-bye to a comrade—Captain |
| Balderston's death—A last view of the hills | 296 |
|
