64 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



watching over his personal safety — and faithful sentinels 

 they were. They seemed to relieve each other with the 

 precision of sentries, and clever indeed would be the 

 stalker who could approach within many hundred paces 

 ere the warning hiss of the watchful doe aroused the 

 grand signior from his siesta. It was then grand to see 

 the majestic air of the buck, as, after stretching his 

 graceful limbs, he slowly paced towards the object of his 

 suspicion, still too far distant to cause him any alarm. 

 Now he stops, and, tossing his nostrils in the air, snufifs 

 the breeze that might convey to his delicate sense the 

 human taint. Now he lazily crops a blade or two of 

 grass, or scientifically whisks a fly from his glossy haunch 

 wath the tip of his horn ; anon he saunters up to one of 

 his partners, and seems to take counsel regarding the 

 state of affairs. Again, as some movement of the distant 

 figure catches his eye, his sudden wheel and prolonged 

 gaze show that, despite his careless mien, not for a 

 moment has he lost sight of his well-known foe. But 

 soon the does begin to take real alarm ; and after fidget- 

 ing round their lord, as if to apprise him of the full 

 extent of the danger, trot ofi" together tow^ards some 

 other haunt. Now they halt a moment, and look round 

 appealingly to the buck, and again with feigned con- 

 sternation start off" at a gallop, every now and then 

 taking imaginary ten-barred gates in their stride. At 

 last the buck, after remaining behind a decent time to 

 maintain his character for superior courage, follows them 

 at a pace that mocks the eff'orts of every animal on the 

 face of the earth but one — the hunting leopard. 



" Such was the invariable result of my best eflforts 

 for upwards of a w^eek. I would not risk a long shot, 

 as it might drive him for ever from that j)art of the 



