cHAP.vm VARIOUS GAME 83 



our wind and belled defiance. At last dawn began 

 to show, and we made a move down the slope to 

 cross the neck of jungle, listening very carefully, 

 as elephants were about at this time of year. 

 Hearing no sound, we picked our way through 

 the jungle, which, except for the light of the moon, 

 was almost pitch dark. We reached the grass hill 

 on the other side and proceeded very cautiously, 

 as there was still insufficient light to see for any 

 distance. We had not gone far when my man, 

 Naad Kerta, crouched down, pointing to the 

 side of the hill opposite us ; of course I at once 

 followed suit, and lay as low in the grass as 

 possible. I saw three doe sambhur already on 

 their way to cover, but looking inquisitively in 

 our direction. After a bit they began to " bell," 

 stamping with their forefeet. By this time I 

 had taken my field-glasses, and was surveying 

 the hollow below, from which I knew the does 

 must have come. How my mouth did water as 

 I saw a small stag and one lordly fellow looking 

 up towards his harem ! but he, not having seen 

 the danger, refused to budge, so finally the does 

 trotted up the hill. We dared not move, but 

 anxiously waited, hoping the stag would follow 

 the does. This would have brought him into nice 

 range of my rifle. He had evidently made up 

 his mind to lie up by himself, as after a while 

 both stags moved off in the opposite direction, 

 and we had to lie low until they crossed a ridge. 

 Kerta whispered to me that the moment they 

 crossed we must run for all we were worth to get 

 ahead of them, but keeping on our side of the 

 ridge, so as to be out of sight until we reached a 



