AFTER THE BLACK HEAR. 51 



on the look-out for hinds, and much bolder at this 

 season, still it requires very careful walking up wind, 

 and a quick ear and eye, to get a shot. Unfortunately 

 for us, this has been an early summer and autumn, and 

 the stags have almost ceased to roar. 



It was chilly enough to-night to make a large wood 

 fire very pleasant. Indeed our Hindustani servants, 

 Santan and the avail, evidently considered the climate 

 Arctic. Poor things, they little know what is before 

 them! Santan, on the strength of his Portuguese blood, 

 affects the European, and pretends that he rather likes 

 cold, but the ayah has no false pride and passes all her 

 time crouched by the fire. At night 1 believe she 

 sleeps on the embers, for in the morning when she 

 comes into my little tent to awake me, her flowing 

 garments are spotted with burns and chars, and positively 

 reek of smoke and wood-ashes. 



Alan started at 2 a.m. for the [Maharaja's preserve, 

 about ten miles across the valley on the opposite hills. He 

 says, "It was pitch dark, but, with a lantern to guide us. 

 we pushed along the track at a good pace, my pony having 

 to jog to keep up with the shikari's long strides. In about 

 two hours we reached the foot of the range of hills, where 

 black bear and barasingh are said to be. It was still dark. 

 but a glimmer of dawn showed behind the eastern 

 mountains, so I sent hack the pony, and commenced the 



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