other man, and both were saved.

After getting through the pass, we came upon the inhabited tracks, and
made the acquaintance of the Bhootias. I found them very original,
very dirty, and very honest with regard to every thing except tobacco.
This, neither father nor mother, husband or wife, could help stealing,
whenever they had the opportunity; and the most amusing part of it
was, they never attempted to deny the theft, but stoutly maintained
their right to the article! Numerous were the thrashings inflicted by
Buctoo on them for tobacco thieving, but the thefts did not diminish.

As my object in coming into these dreary fastnesses was to get on
terms of familiarity with the quadrupedal rather than the bipedal
inhabitants, I will leave the Bhootias, and proceed to describe my
rencontres with the equally civilized four-footed denizens. I had in
my employ Shikarees (gameseekers) of no ordinary class, who, having
been many years with me, were well tutored; although, when first
caught, they were ignorance personified as far as sporting matters
went. Their original incapacity will be easily credited, when I inform
them that my second best man, Buctoo, had followed the sporting
occupation of a village fiddler, before he entered my service, and
knew as much of the capabilities of an English rifle as he did of the
"Pleiades." Jye Sing was a little better informed, for he told me
confidentially, one day, he had seen a gentleman at Subathoo actually
kill quail flying with small shot. His occupation had been that of
findal, or porter, to some families at Simla. Two months' training
turned him out, not only one of the most intelligent, but pluckiest
Shikaree I ever had.

Having, in my numerous excursions into the hills, obtained some very