94 



" right anil left by alternate kicks ; the stcig apparently not even 

 " altering his stride in doing so. The sight of a grand stag, looking 

 " so proud and bold, often brings to my mind the vignette attached 

 " to one of Gay's or JEsop's fables, (I forget which) of the " stag 

 " and the fawn ;" a picture that delighted me in my childhood, and 

 " dwells in my memory still. The fable tells us how the fawn in 

 " its innocence asks the stag why it is that he who is so bold and 

 " fearless in appearance, and even makes the very earth tremble 

 " with his bellowings, yet at the faintest sound of a hound's tongue 

 " flies as if frightened to death ? I forget the stag's reply ; but the 

 " moral is something to the effect that boasters are not always the 

 " bravest ; and so it is with the sambur, the smallest dog creates in 

 " him the greatest panic. An instance was mentioned to me not 

 " long ago, of a stag rushing so blindly away from a pack of clogs, 

 " that he went clean over a precipice, and was killed on the spot. 



" The manner of hunting the sambur usually practised on these 

 " hills, is confined to " Beating" and " Stalking." I will first deal 

 " with the former, which is the more generally resorted to. At all 

 " times of the year sambur harbour in the woods, sometimes frequent- 

 *' ing remarkably small strips of sholah, most unlikely to afford good 

 " cover, at others only to be found in the larger woods or extensive 

 " forests, from which there is little chance of getting them to break. 

 M It is observed however that the deer become much attached to 

 " particular localities, but from what special cause is not understood ; 

 ** but certain woods are looked upon as certain " finds," though 

 " repeatedly disturbed and many deer killed from them ; those that 

 " escape return, and apparently bring others with them. The mode 

 61 of proceeding usually adopted for a beat is as follows : (We will 

 " limit the number of guns to four.) A few beaters are collected ; 

 "also as many dogs as the four sportsmen can contribute. A 

 " shikarrie or two, well acquainted with the haunts of the deer, are 

 " selected and lead the way. Arrived at the wood, the posting of 

 " the guns next takes place, and this requires a good deal of caution 

 " to ensure sport. Few men are aware that a deer in a sholah isas 

 " keenly alive to all the movements of his enemies without, as he 

 " would be if in the open. If talking takes place, which never 

 ''ought to be permitted, he hears ! If a roan oes up to hi? post 



