118 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



its range, and probably diminishing its numbers. 

 Gradually cultivation is extending into the valleys that 

 everywhere penetrate these hills ; and the grazing of 

 cattle, which extends far ahead of the regularly settled 

 tracts, is pushing the wild bull before it into the remotest 

 depths of the hills. I have, in a comparatively brief ac- 

 quaintance with these hills, myself known considerable 

 areas where bison used to be plentiful almost entirely 

 cleared of these animals. Other wild beasts retire more 

 slowly before the incursions of man, partly subsisting as 

 they do on the products of his labour. The tiger who 

 finds himself suddenly in the middle of herds of cattle 

 merely changes his diet to meet the situation, and preys 

 on cattle instead of wild pigs and deer. Even deer seldom 

 live entirely in the deep forest, but hang on the out- 

 skirts of cultivation, and, mainly subsisting on it, need 

 not materiallv decrease in numbers so lono- as there 

 remain uncleared tracts to furnish a retreat when 

 pressed. But the bison admits of no compromise. I 

 have never heard of his visiting fields even when he 

 lives within reach ; he never interbreeds with tame 

 cattle ; and the axe of the clearer and the low of 

 domestic cattle are a sign to him, as to the traditional 

 backwoodsman, to move "further West." 



On the day appointed for our grand hunt I started 

 early, with the young Th;ikiir and a few of the Korkiis, 

 by a way that led right over the top of Dhiipgarh. 

 After walking along the open plateau for about three 

 miles we commenced the ascent of the hill, which is 

 close on 1,000 feet above the plateau. The zigzag track 

 was hardly distinguishable among the grass and bamboos 

 that clothe the hill ; and every here and there a road 

 had to be cleared with the axe, no one having passed 



