162 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. 



which he returned. And he bad just time to jump on 

 shore, before, with a " whish," the boat disappeared 

 beneath the water. 



It seems that the simple natives, when putting in the 

 reeds, had been careful to conceal the place where a plank 

 was missing. They never use a boat themselves, and this 

 one (a rough punt) had been built by some former English 

 tenant of the bungalow. The villagers found the boards 

 come in useful, and could not see that one more or less 

 made much difference to the boat. Since last night they 

 had been hard at work replacing such as they could find ; 

 but one falling short, they attempted to stuff up the hole 

 with reeds. On more careful examination we found all the 

 wood so rotten that we were obliged to give up the idea of 

 cettina - the boat mended. 



After breakfast we rode to some hills about five miles 

 distant, where oorial are said to be. A couple of does 

 scuttled away directly we got on the ground, but not a single 

 ram was visible. Rahman proposed to go up a small peak, 

 whence an extensive view could be had. After carefully 

 scanning every likely spot with a telescope, we at last dis- 

 covered two fine rams lying down in a glen on the opposite 

 hill, and close to a clump of small thorn trees. 



They were at least a mile off as the crow flies, and prob- 

 ably three by the detour it would be necessary to make in 

 order to cross the valley unseen. I decided to remain on 



