The Jungle Girl | Page 2

to help a friend in want were
the causes rather than deliberate extravagance on his own account.
Taking life easily and never worrying over his own troubles he was
always generous and sympathetic to others, and prompter to take up
cudgels on their behalf than on his own. His being a good sportsman
and a smart soldier added to his popularity among men; while all
women were partial to the pleasant, courteous subaltern whom they felt
to have a chivalrous regard and respect for them and who was as polite
and attentive to an old lady as he was to the prettiest girl.
While admiring and liking the other sex Wargrave had hitherto been
too absorbed in sport and his profession to have ever found time to lose
his heart to any particular member of it, while his innate respect for,
and high ideal of, womankind had preserved him from unworthy
intrigues with those ready to meet him more than half-way. Even in the
idleness of the year's furlough in England from which he had returned
the previous day he had remained heart-whole; although several
charming girls had been ready to share his lot and more than one pretty
pirate had sought to make him her prize. But he had been blind to them
all; for he was too free from conceit to believe that any woman would
concern herself with him unasked. He had dined and danced with maid
and young matron in London, ridden with them in the Row and
Richmond Park, punted them down backwaters by Goring, Pangbourne
and the Cleveden Woods, and flirted harmlessly with them in country
houses after days with the Quorn and the Pytchley, and yet come back
to India true to his one love, his regiment.

As Raymond watched him the fear of the feminine dangers in England
for his friend suddenly pricked; and he blurted out anxiously:
"I say, old chap, you haven't got tangled up with any woman at home,
have you? Not got engaged or any silly thing like that, I hope?"
Wargrave laughed.
"No fear, old boy," he replied, pouring out another cup of tea. "Far too
hard up to think of such an expensive luxury as a wife. Been too busy,
too, to see much of any particular girl."
"You had some decent sport, hadn't you?" asked his friend, with a
feeling of relief in his heart.
"Rather. I told you I'd learnt to fly and got my pilot's certificate, for one
thing. Good fun, flying. I wish I could afford a 'bus of my own. Then I
had some yachting on the Solent and a lot of boating on the Thames. I
put in a month in Switzerland, skiing and skating."
"Did you get any hunting?"
"Yes, at my uncle's place near Desford in Leicestershire. He gave me
some shooting, too. It was all very well; but I was very envious when
the regiment came here and you wrote and told me of the pigsticking
you were getting. I've always longed for it. It's great sport, isn't it?"
"The best I know," cried Raymond enthusiastically. "Beats hunting
hollow. You're not following a wretched little animal that runs for its
life, but a game brute that will turn on you as like as not and make you
fight for yours."
"It must be ripping. I do hope we'll have the luck to find plenty of pig
to-day."
"Oh, we're sure to. The Maharajah told me yesterday they have marked
down a _sounder_--that is, a herd--of wild pig in a nullah about seven
miles the other side of the city, which is two miles away, so we have a

ride of nine to the meet."
"That will make it a very hard day for our ponies, won't it?" asked
Wargrave anxiously. "Eighteen miles there and back and the runs as
well."
"Oh, that's all right. The Maharajah mounts us at the meet. We'll find
his horses waiting there for us. Rawboned beasts with mouths like iron,
as a rule; but good goers and staunch to pig."
"By Jove! The Maharajah must be a real good chap."
"One of the best," replied Raymond. "He is a man for whom I've the
greatest admiration. He rules his State admirably. He commanded his
own Imperial Service regiment in the war and did splendidly. He is
very good to us here."
"So it seems. From what I gathered at Mess last night he appears to
provide all our sport for us."
"Yes; he arranges his shoots and the pigsticking meets for days on
which the officers of the regiment are free to go out with him. When we
can travel by road he sends his carriages for us, lends us horses and has
camels to follow us with lunch, ice and drinks wherever we