deliberately round and faced in the direction where I was seated, but
not in view, then depressing his bushy tail he gradually backed into the
water; very slow, indeed, was his backward movement, but on gaining the
centre of the somewhat shallow stream his whole body became submerged,
leaving nothing visible above the water but the tip of his nose;
suddenly he dived, and reappeared on the opposite bank. After giving
himself a good shake, he scampered off, apparently in high glee, leaving
the cotton floating on the surface of the water. Determined to find out
if possible the meaning of this strange proceeding, I walked to the
river's bank, and wading some paces in contrived, with my long riding
whip, to get hold of the piece of cotton. You may judge of my surprise
on finding it to be actually alive with enormous flees. The cunning
jackall had taken this effectual means of ridding himself of his
troublesome companions."

But ere long scenes of a much more stirring character engaged the
attention of our young soldier, and letter-writing had to a considerable
extent to give way to the flashing of the sabre and the blurr of the
trumpet. The Punjaub was again swarming with a discontented population,
whose warlike natures rendered them a most formidable foe for everywhere
it was acknowledged that the Seik soldiery as a body were very
effective, and their cavalry the finest horsemen in the country. These
had yet to be conquered and the bloody fields of Mooltan and
Chillianwalla had to be fought and won, and the campaign on the Sutlej
brought to a successful termination, ere the troops about to be engaged
could return to peaceful quarters.

These brave, but now lawless people, rendered desperate by the internal
commotion of petty factions under different leaders, each seeking his
own personal aggrandizement, endeavored to throw the onus of the coming