Memoirs of a griffin : $b Or, A cadet's first year in IndiaBellew, Francis John
General
Memoirs of a griffin : $b Or, A cadet's first year in India
Bellew, Francis John
India -- Description and travel
I eagerly expressed my assent.
“De la Chasse,” said Mr. Augustus, “take a gallop after those jackals;
our friend here wants to see a hunt.”
“Oh! ay, ve’ll stir dem ope,” said the light-hearted Frenchman, who,
like his countrymen in general, seemed ready for any thing that promised
excitement. “_Choorda khoota choorda!_” (“let loose the dogs, let
loose”) he shouted, and in a moment the greyhounds were slipped.
“Hark away!” shouted Augustus; the Gaul gave the View halloo, and after
the jackals darted the beautiful animals; their bodies undulating like
serpents as they emulously strove to pass each other. The small dogs
followed in full cry, and my _matur_, or master of the hounds, not to be
outdone, and justly anxious for the reputation of his charges, drew the
cords of the bull-dog and Teazer, lustily cheering them on.
After killing the jackals, which was soon effected, we regained the
road, and in half an hour reached the Junglesoor factory. The residence
was a square building of one story, surrounded by a terrace and covered
verandah; on one side was a large garden, filled with orange and other
trees. Further back were groves of bamboo, mango, &c., intermingled with
buildings, vats, stables, &c.
We dismounted, and Augustus invited the Frenchman to come in and sup;
but he declined, pleading a necessity for returning home; but he added,
“Ven vil you come take your _luck-pote_ vid me?”
“Ha! ha! ha! _pot-luck_, I suppose you mean, Monsieur?”
“Yais, to be sure,” said the good-natured Frenchman; “but I put de horse
before de cart only. What you mean, you dam Capsicome, by laugh at me?”
said he, poking at him with the butt-end of his hog-spear.
After other good-humoured passes between them, it was arranged that La
Chasse was to come over the day after the ensuing, to breakfast, make a
day of it, and “hunt ope de hogue,” and he was to bring a friend.
I now entered with my companion, and proceeded to the dining-room. We
found the candles lighted and every preparation for a comfortable meal.
We had a roast goose, curry-fish, prawns, &c., to which we did ample
justice; a cool bottle of claret was then produced; Augustus changed his
boots for slippers, cocked his legs on the table, ordered his hookha,
and another for the purpose of initiating me, and we were soon in that
blissful state, compounded of overflowing health, light hearts, moderate
fatigue, and a delightful sense of repletion, when the heart expands,
and all the better feelings of our nature predominate. I have always
thought, though an inversion of the orthodox rule, that the first and
most effectual step towards making men good is to make them happy.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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