312 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



Belkhera glen. The way lies up the damp stony bed of 

 the stream, between short steep scarps that enclose it on 

 either hand. Just before turning off to ascend the valley 

 side, up the abominably steep T6rghdt, I heard something 

 moving uphill, and after a while spied the horns of a 

 young stag sambar showing now and then above the long 

 grass. He was creeping quietly along the hillside, and I 

 watched him for a time, wondering where he was going, 

 this particular spot being an unusual one in which to find 

 deer. 



On turning my head, as a movement caught my eye, a 

 wild dog quietly walked into the bed of the ndla, and 

 stood gazing in the direction the stag had taken, while 

 another emerged from behind a rock, "nosing" slowly 

 along. I should have liked to have watched their move- 

 ments, but was so exposed to view that the dogs must see 

 me next moment: so fired at once, knocking over the 

 nearer of the two. As I did so, a third bounded away to 

 my left. The one I had hit dragged itself up the bank 

 and into some grass, where it was found dead. 



While examining it, the other dogs were heard calling 

 to each other in some neighbouring ravines ; so I tried to 

 copy their curious whistling note as best I could. 



To my surprise one of the dogs returned. He came 

 trotting inquiringly back along the bed of the stream, 

 stopping suddenly as he caught sight of my hat ; and I 

 missed him, as he turned and ran. However, that was not 

 a bad morning's work, for no fewer than ten pups were 

 removed from the female I had shot, together with a large 

 quantity of freshly bolted meat, some scraps of sambar 

 hide, and the complete fore pads of a hare ! 



The sportsman should never lose an opportunity of 

 destroying wild dogs, even at the expense of disturbing 

 other game which he may be following at the time. If 

 some wholesale method of getting rid of these deadly 

 vermin could be devised, the now attenuated herds of deer 



