FIRST STAGES 167
than birds and a few small animals; and although the cap-
tain turned up his nose at such poor sport, he was always
highly delighted next day, when Monsieur Parazard regaled
us with a variety of new and savory dishes.
Banks, when he could, made our halting-places near some wood, and on the banks of a stream or brook, because it was always necessary to replenish the tender with what was wanted for the next day's journey, and he attended personally to every detail.
Goûmi and Fox were frequently employed as hewers of wood and drawers of water.
When the day's work was done we lighted our cigars (ex- cellent Manilla cheroots), and while we smoked we talked about this country with which Hood, as well as Banks, was so thoroughly well acquainted. The captain disdained cigars, and his vigorous lungs inhaled, through a pipe twenty feet long, the aromatic smoke of a hookah, carefully filled for him by the hand of Fox. It was our greatest wish that Colonel Munro should accompany us on our little shooting excursions round the camp. We invariably asked him to do so, but he as invariably declined, and remained with Sergeant McNeil, spending the time of our absence in pac- ing up and down a distance of not more than a hundred yards.
They spoke little, but so completely did they understand one another, that words were not needed for the interchange of thoughts.
Both were absorbed in tragic and indelible recollections. It was possible that, in approaching the theater of the bloody insurrection, these recollections would become more vivid. Banks and Captain Hood shared with me the opinion that some fixed idea, which would be developed later, had in- duced Colonel Munro to join us in this expedition to the north of India.
In that case we might be on the verge of great events. Our steam Behemoth might be drawing us across these huge plains and mountains to the scene of a thrilling and unex- pected drama.
