presented themselves before him. On the left was an immense gulf, into which those whose actions had not entitled them to admission into Paradise, and were therefore ordered to revisit the earth in some other form, were cast by two attendants (devils, I fancy), who acted in this manner to all those who had sentence passed upon them.

It now fell to the lot of the person who stood next to me to speak. As he stepped forward for this purpose, I cast my eyes towards him and recognized my friend, who had during life been considered as the most confirmed Tinker in our hunt. To my surprise, he could adduce nothing in favour of himself, save his passion for hunting; and on being questioned as to his prowess, reluctantly replied (for on arrival here we lose the power of prevarication), "that though he had possessed horses without number, and had spared neither time nor expense in the accomplishment of his object, his intentions had never been crowned with success; and moreover, that he fancied that this ill luck was occasioned by his constitutional timidity,

which always prompted him to 'hold hard in consequence of which failing he enjoyed the soubriquet of 'Rear rank, take close order' amongst his contemporaries: he trusted, however-" But he was here interrupted in a voice of thunder by the judge, who thus addressed him : "Miserable wretch! and is this all the account you can give of yourself? Not only have you devoted your life to the attainment of a foolish object, but have failed even in accomplishing it. Begone, infamous tinker, and inhabit the vile carcase of a pariah dog, fit receptacle for such worthless spirits." So saying, he accom

panied his benediction with an application of his foot "a posteriori,” which whirled my unfortunate friend into the yawning abyss before mentioned; then, turning to me, he desired to know what I had to say for myself. I instanter started at score with a long list of killed and wounded. I enumerated numerous first spears which had fallen to my lot; I touched upon sundry spills which I had undergone in the course of my vocation; I expatiated on divers horses which I had broken down; and summed up my statement with a brilliant account of the four pigs I had spilicated on the day of my demise. When I had concluded, Minos, with a stern air, thus spoke. "On my conscience, if blood offerings were the price of admission here, thou wouldst be well off; in faith, you are but little better (save in executing what you attempted) than the miscreant I but now disposed of. What a pretty use hast thou made of the sense and talents intrusted to thy charge! the whole strength of thy mind and body has been directed towards the extermination of a race of animals which had done thee no harm, and the cultivation of that intellect which might have benefited mankind has been thrown away in the obscurity of a stable. But go and assume the form destined for thee, and then learn how you yourself can enjoy the misery you have so long wantonly inflicted upon others." The devils (who, by-the by, from the commencement of my speech, seemed to have an inkling as to how the matter would terminate) now laid violent hands on me and, before I could utter a word further in my defence, "carted" me into the pit.

On coming to myself, I indeed found that I had undergone a change. My spirit was incarce

rated in the body of a boar, and, "God of my Fathers," such a boar! It appeared to me that I had just waked from a sound nap, and on casting my eyes about me saw that I was in the midst of a luxuriant sugar-cane field; and that a sow 66 'fair as the first who fell of woman-kind was slumbering by my side. As the sun was shining clearly, I fancied I might without impropriety awake her, which I did by an affectionate grunt or two; we then made a delicious repast on some canes, after which, having been always of an amorous disposition, I could not refrain from paying a thousand little attentions to my fair partner. We were soon on a good footing with each other, and had passed some time most delightfully, when we were interrupted in the midst of our mutual endearments by a rustling amongst the canes, and the next instant, to my infinite horror, the well known visage of old Dutto (the shikaree to the Nuggur Hunt) appeared through an opening in the canes, taking a deliberate "dekh " at us. As his eye met mine, he hastily retreated with an exclamation of “Ah, you burra b-n c-t—” I was perfectly confounded at this apparition, for, strange to say, I had till this moment forgotten that there were such things as hunters and spears in existence. Had I possessed my faculties at the time, I would, without scruple, have rid the world of such a cruel monster. As it was, I lay perfectly quiet, hoping that he had been merely sent out to look for hog; but can I describe my feelings when, on his arrival outside the field, I heard the villain exclaim, "Sahib! Sahib! do janwar hie; ek burra, burra, dantwalla"? This information was 'received with a loud shout from throats of (to judge by the noise) a dozen

Sahib-logue at least. After the first transports of their joy had evaporated, I heard the order given to turn in the beaters, and the next instant they turned in with

a

vengeance, tom-toms, horns, matchlocks, and every other damnable instrument that can be imagined. At this horrible shindy my gentle partner lost all presence of mind, and bolted from the field like a shot, with the intention, I fancy, of gaining the hills, which were at no great distance. I followed her to the verge of the canes, from whence I had a fair view of the chase which ensued; she was allowed a short start, and then eleven riders, the "pride and flower" of the Deccan (all of whom I also knew but too well), were close upon her, and I had the satisfaction of seeing her speared through and through, in about four hundred yards, and the voice of my old friend R- shouting, That's into you, Charlotte," informed me to whom the first spear had fallen. It now behoved me, however, to look out for myself, for as I lay contemplating this dismal spectacle, three bundookwallas discharged their pieces close to my ears, and an infernal tom-tom joining in the concert, so alarmed. me, that in the greatest terror I sprang from the canes and legged it down a nullah which led to the hills like a "two-year-old," and luckily was not viewed till I had obtained a good start. But when they did twig me, it was a decided case of "the devil take the hindmost." I had now arrived within a hundred and fifty yards of the foot of the ghaut, which (could I reach it in safety), from its extreme stiffness, I made no doubt would place some of my pursuers "hors de combat." The riders were not more than 30 yards behind me. "Damme, we shall lose

him," cried one. My G, what a welter ! " exclaimed another. "Skiver him before he gets to the hill," roared a third. "I'll be d-d if you do," thought I-and they did not. I reached the hill just as the leading man was about ten feet from my haunch, and was for the present in comparative security. I scrambled up as fast as possible, occasionally casting a glance at the progress of the huntsmen, and was glad to observe that the majority of my friends (or at least their horses) seemed to consider the matter as a bad job; nay, so well did the hill-side try their metal, that

"When the mountain's ridge was won

The headmost horseman, rode alone," and he seemed particularly anxious to scrape a closer acquaintance with me, and had nearly effected it; but, alas! "there's many a slip 'twixt the cup and the lip," for as he was cramming furiously at me across the small and stony midhan on the top of the hill, his horse fell, and my pursuer's head coming in contact with a large futtah, his business was, for a season, most effectually settled. How proud did I feel at that moment! I had thrashed the Nuggur Hunt, and at my feet lay the senseless body of the redoubtable H. W. R. But I did not allow these thoughts to interfere with my escape. I descended the hill and made across a plain (smooth as a billiard table) to a cane field I saw at a great distance. I had cantered onwards about a mile, and was congratulating myself on my fortunate delivery from a

premature death (which I made. no doubt I had safely accomplished), when a shout that froze my very heart's blood rang upon my ear, and on looking in the direction it proceeded from, I beheld one by whose side I had often ridden-no less a person than "mine own familiar friend

W bearing down on me in "full career," mounted on the very horse with whose assistance I had slain the four pigs before mentioned. Nothing was before me but midhan! interminable midhan! The desire of life, however, prompted me to the most desperate exertions, but they were of no avail. He gained upon me rapidly, and in imagination I already felt the spear blade and some yards of bamboo quivering in my liver. Every footfall of his horse grated on my very soul. I was too done to turn, though I knew the spear was poised over my back. I closed my eyes and rushed on headlong, and the next instant (oh, Mr. Editor, I feel it even now) it was sent through, and through, and through me, occasioning so great a sensation of pain, that with a yell of agony I awoke and beheld several of my brother sportsmen skulking from behind a tree near me (apparently in high glee), one of them bearing a pellet bow, a ball from which taking effect with great vehemence on that part of my body where, according to Hudibras, "honour lies," had thus singularly coincided with and put an end to my dream.

Nuggur, Oct. 1832.

SCREW.

SIR,

In a former letter on the subject of rifle shooting I recom

mended the use of the double barrel; I can now cite an instance which shows that, at times, even a brace of barrels may prove insufficient.

Some months ago a tall friend of mine, with a long doublebarrelled rifle, was stalking deer amongst the wilds of Mangerode. To him the term long was particularly applicable, as the space which his supporters compassed at each stride fully equalled two of the short but accelerated paces of the little jungle inhabitant who followed at his heels. He had arrived at a spot well known to all who have traversed that lovely country as a favourite rendezvous of the spotted deer. It is when a narrow tongue of land separates a fine watery nullah for a short time from the Taptee-one of the few streams which at the season I speak of had not become bankrupt and withdrawn its tribute. On one side of the little promontory there is a sandy precipice some forty feet high, yet bearing in many places tokens of having been surmounted by deer. The other bank of the river slopes more gradually to the water's edge. The whole is covered with stunted trees and thick underwood.

My friend knew the spot well; and it did not belie his expectations, for he had not proceeded far before his eye caught through the thicket the form of a stately buck, standing obliquely with and gazing on a stream as placid as his own thoughts. The long barrels were immediately levelled at the object; the longer legs instinctively assumed their steadiest

position, the trigger was touched, and the ball told with that peculiar and indescribable crash which sounds with so much satisfaction on the sportsman's ear; but the buck, starting from his reverie, bounded into the jungle as if only stung by a pellet from an urchin's cross-bow. My friend hastened to the spot where the deer had stood, and with the assistance of the Bheel and a sagacious horsekeeper proceeded to take up the tracks—a difficult task in so stiff a country, but they were aided by the blood which dropped at intervals and

"Marked the road he took."

They succeeded in tracking him round the head of the little promontory, and across the mouth of the nullah, into a country covered with long grass and occasional tall trees; but here they were at fault, "for the blood had ceased to drop," and the ground was covered on all sides with the fresh traces of deer. The wearied sportsman, after a long and unsuccessful search, gave up the chase, and was consoling himself with a quiet "drap of the cratur," when at once something seemed to have riveted the lynx eye (he had but one) of the little Bheel. In an instant the owner of the long barrels and longer legs was taking advantage of the accommodating branch of a tree as a rest prepared for a long shot. In the next, bang went his gun, and down fell the deer as dead as mutton "Weel dune!" chuckled the sportsman inwardly; "Shabash! bellowed Cassee outwardly; "Wah! wah!" rejoined the Bheel; and all three with the greatest unanimity proceeded towards the spot, where

they found a splendid old buck in his last agonies. Cassee produced from his wallet a double-edged knife (inasmuch as the edge and back were nearly on a par) and began to hullah the gentleman. After much hacking and sawing he at last succeeded, and an extra slash across the windpipe, which severed it in two, finished the operation. Having secured the prize, they paused to admire it. "What a lovely haunch!" said the sportsman, smacking his lips; "splendid pickings!" quoth Cassee, wiping his knife and nodding to the Bheel; but "catch your dolphin first," grinned the venison; for up it got, shook its head to give the proper balance to its huge antlers, and began to clear the ground towards the nullah in bounds that would have done credit to its youthful days!-Cassee dropped his knife and his nether jaw; the Bheel cocked his single optic; the sportsman his double gun, and snap went one of the long barrels. But stop, ye patrons of the ancient flint, 'twas the right in this case the wrong barrel he had cocked and snapped, forgetting in his hurry (who would not) that he had just discharged it. As the long barrel had refused to go off a second time, even in a case of such great emergency, the

longer legs were brought into play, and they carried their owner panting to the nullah just as the buck had got within a few feet of the summit of the sandy bank, but before his active limbs could fetch him to the table ground above, a ball had touched some vital spot, and down he rolled topsy-turvy into the stream below.

On examination it was found that one ball (probably the first) had entered his left flank, and passing in a diagonal direction through his body, had lodged in the skin in the right side of the neck; another had hit behind the shoulder, and gone clean through; the last and fatal shot had just grazed the spine at its junction with the neck.

I happened to be of the party, then at Mangerode, and had the satisfaction of examining the wounds, and of partaking bountifully of the haunch. He was a buck of twelve tines, the only one I ever saw with that number. His antlers, the gift of my friend, at this moment adorn the walls of Shandy Hall, and bear evidence of this extraordinary instance of the tenacity of life in these animals. Your obedient servant,

TOBY.
Shandy Hall, 25th Oct., 1832.