BY TAMARIND AND MHOWA 185 



"In that grass, that red grass, close to the little chirdnji 

 tree." 



"How far?" 



* Perchance it is a hundred paces." 



There is a point of vantage among some big rocks 

 rather to our right front, and we are soon on them, within 

 about sixty yards of the chirdnji tree. But nothing is 

 visible. 



" Is he breathing ? " we call back in a low tone. 



" I cannot tell," comes the reply. 



We creep a little nearer, still among tall rocks ; there 

 are stones handy, and soon they are flying through the 

 air. 



" He is dead ! " cries the old man after a while. " A 

 stone rolled on top of him ! " 



There is a handy tree, with easy boughs, a short way 

 farther on, and soon we are in it, rifle in hand. Thirty 

 yards off, in the grass, lies something black and white, and 

 quite still. We climb a little higher, and stare hard. Then 

 we climb down. 



There is a bush still farther on. We peer carefully 

 round it. 



His tail is towards us. His head is turned away. And 

 the pose of that head is the pose of death. Nevertheless, 

 for a space, we stand watching, rifle to shoulder. 



We stoop and fumble for a big stone. Then, rifle held 

 ready in the left hand, we cast that stone over the tall 

 grass, on to the brindled hide. Thud! 



Next moment the jungle echoes to a cheerful cry 



" Whoo whoop ! Come along ; it's all right " 



It is to be doubted whether a greater head of Cervus 

 axis ever occupied so comparatively confined limits as in 

 those little bandis at the period described. 



One evening we saw a herd leave the forest for the open 



