30 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD. 



grunt, evidently denoting satisfaction, and almost 

 immediately a noble buck axis stole stealthily for- 

 ward so noiselessly that I did not hear a stir in the 

 foliage. He stood for a moment drawing in the 

 air, scratched his back with his wide-spreading 

 antlers, which had still their velvety skin upon 

 them, and then gave a sharp bark, evidently a 

 signal to the rest of the herd, for they immediately 

 came trotting up, and all entered the opposite 

 thicket. I could easily have rolled over the buck 

 and a couple of does, as my spare guns were hang- 

 ing within my reach by their slings on the fork of 

 the tree ; but I did not care to do so, as, having 

 the jungle sheep, my people did not want for 

 venison, and it had now become my practice never 

 to kill more game than was absolutely required for 

 food. 



Chineah and the rest of the people came back 

 without having fallen upon any fresh spoor of 

 elephant, although one of their number managed 

 to catch a young loris* alive, and brought it back 



* A rather scarce animal of the sloth species, having a face like 

 a fox, and about the size of a young gi-ay tufted monkey. 



