SPORTING RAMBLES ROUND ABOUT SIMLA. Gl 



with the description of the favourite locality of the cheer given 



by Messrs. Hume and Marshal in their well-known work. The 



hillside on which they were found was composed of a Dumber of 



little cliffs one above the other, each perhaps from 20 to 30 feet 



high, broken up by ledges on which one could barely walk, 



thickly set with grass and bushes, aud dotted sparingly with 



more or less stunted trees, with curious roots hanging down 



the little cliffs and long trailing arms of scarlet creeper. I 



had a red setter aud three spaniels with me. The setter was put to 



rauge over the whole hillside ; men were stationed at various points 



to mark down the birds while we sat on a knoll opposite and looked 



on, a deep ravine lying between. It was a pretty sight to see the 



dog working half-way up the hill. Soon there might be seen, 



scuttling up hill at an amazing pace, across the little open glades 



between one clump of brushwood and another, a family party of 



some five or sis cheer, their heads down and long tails drooping: 



r J 'he dog soon overtook and flushed them, and then all eyes were 



wanted to mark down each bird. The birds have pitched in various 



places only a little lower than where they were flushed, having 



wheeled round to the right and left soon afcer they had got on 



way. You cross the ravine and ascend the hill on the other side. 



You find it is much stifFer work than it looked, requiring a good 



head and a careful use of your feet. At last you get to the destined 



spot below bird number one, and as close as you can convenient I v 



get thereto, it may be 20 yards or it may a 100 or more. You have 



a most insecure footing, and you are not quite sure that your gun 



going off will not remove you from it ; but you mean to have a shot 



at that cheer, though you perish in the attempt. The shikaree 



climbs up still higher to flush the bird with the spaniels at his heels. 



After a good deal of beating of bushes and inciting of the dogs, 



a great fluttering is heard overhead, but it may be out of sight. 



The next moment a mighty rush as of some archangel, in a hurry ; 



you spin round, let off your gun, and upset yourself, all in the 



twinkling of an eye ; and if you get that bird, it is probably, as 



Mr. Hume remarks, not the first time you have shot cheer. If you 



do not get him, he is again marked down, probably on some lower 



slope of the same hill, where you may with perfect confidence leave 



him till you have looked up / by a similar process to that first 



described, the other birds originally flushed. It is curious how 



close these birds will sit when put up once or twice. You may 



