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--Thefeudal 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