You should never go out in the forest with white clothes, as you are then a conspicuous mark for all the prying eyes that are invisible to you.  The best colour is dun brown, dark grey, or dark green.  When you see a deer has become suspicious, and no cover is near, stand perfectly erect and rigid, and do not leave your legs apart.  The ‘forked-parsnip’ formation of the ‘human form divine’ is detected at a glance, but there’s just a chance that if your legs are drawn together, and you remain perfectly motionless, you may be mistaken for the stump of a tree, or at the best some less dangerous enemy than man.

As we rode slowly along, to allow the beaters to get ahead, and to let the heavily-laden men with the nets keep up with us, we were amused to hear the remarks of the syces and shekarries on the sport they had just witnessed.  Pat’s old man, Juggroo, a merry peep-eyed fellow, full of anecdote and humour, was rather hard on Mehrman Singh for having been up late the preceding night.  Mehrman, whose head was by this time probably reminding him that there are ‘lees to every cup,’ did not seem to relish the humour.  He began grasping one wrist with the other hand, working his hand slowly round his wrist, and I noticed that Juggroo immediately changed the subject.  This, as I afterwards learned, is the invariable Nepaulese custom of showing anger.  They grasp the wrist as I have said, and it is taken as a sign that, if you do not discontinue your banter, you will have a fight.

The Nepaulese are rather vain of their personal appearance, and hanker greatly after a good thick moustache.  This, nature has denied them, for the hair on their faces is scanty and stubbly in the extreme.  One day Juggroo saw his master putting some bandoline on his moustache, which was a fine, handsome, silky one.  He asked Pat’s bearer, an old rogue, what it was.

‘Oh!’ replied the bearer, ’that is the gum of the sal tree; master always uses that, and that is the reason he has such a fine moustache.’

Juggroo’s imagination fired up at the idea.

‘Will it make mine grow too?’

‘Certainly.’

‘How do you use it?’

‘Just rub it on, as you see master do.’

Away went Juggroo to try the new recipe.

Now, the gum of the sal tree is a very strong resin, and hardens in water.  It is almost impossible to get it off your skin, as the more water you use, the harder it gets.

Next day Juggroo’s face presented a sorry sight.  He had plentifully smeared the gum over his upper lip, so that when he washed his face, the gum set, making the lip as stiff as a board, and threatening to crack the skin every time the slightest muscle moved.

Juggroo was ‘sold’ and no mistake, but he bore it all in grim silence, although he never forgot the old bearer.  One day, long after, he brought in some berries from the wood, and was munching them, seemingly with great relish.  The bearer wanted to know what they were, Juggroo with much apparent nonchalance told him they were some very sweet, juicy, wild berries he had found in the forest.  The bearer asked to try one.