40 JUNGLE FOLK 



the sparrow-hawk," cries the Sirdar. But, alas, the 

 man carrying that bird has lagged behind, so the quail 

 escapes. I may here say that on nine occasions out 

 of ten when out hawking the man with the proper 

 hawk is not where he should be. We continue our 

 course, and presently come to a narrow river running 

 through a deep nullah. Here two or three cormorants 

 come flying overhead. They are forthwith " spotted " 

 by the goshawks, which have all the time been eagerly 

 looking about them in all directions. Having seen the 

 cormorants, they begin tugging excitedly at their 

 jesses. The falconers Hberate the goshawks, and away 

 they go in pursuit. After flying about eighty yards, 

 first one goshawk, then the other, gives up the chase, 

 and each repairs to the tree that happens to be nearest 

 it. Then the falconers go up and show the birds pieces 

 of meat, in order to entice them back to the fist. One 

 baz immediately flies to the bait. Not so the other. 

 She sits perched in her tree with an air of fy suis, fy 

 reste. In a few seconds some crows catch sight of her 

 and proceed to mob her by flying around her and 

 squawking loudly. However, not one of them dares 

 to touch her. Presently she too flies to her trainer, and 

 the party moves on. 



We next ford the river. On the far side the country 

 is still more rugged, but contains more trees. Presently 

 there is a great commotion in the thicket, and up gets 

 a great peacock. The goshawks are again released and 

 give chase. They fly low and make straight for the 

 peacock, upon which they gain rapidly. We ride hard 

 after them. After a flight of perhaps two hundred 



