256 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



animals. The plateau was beginning to shelve down 

 towards a ravine filled with clumps of bamboo, beyond 

 which rose another flat-topped ridge, when my eye 

 rested on a spot of denser shadow in the thin salei 

 jungle that topped the further ridge. Pulling up to 

 use the binocular, I discovered the whole herd of bison 

 grazing quietly in the cover. We were a couple of 

 miles away at least, and silently withdrew into a hollow 

 that would lead us down into the ravine. T. and I 

 now advanced with the Shrimp, leaving our ponies and 

 the other Bheels to follow us on hearing a shot. We 

 had a long, hot stalk, and on reaching the plateau found 

 that the herd had disappeared. The place was evidently 

 a regular resort of the wild cattle, the long grass being 

 twisted about into wisps by their feet, and all the 

 bushes broken and grazed away. We stalked over the 

 plateau with cocked rifles, the Shrimp swarming trees 

 to look out ahead ; but no beeves did we see, except 

 a cow and her little calf making off" over a distant 

 rising ground at a slow trot, the sunlight glancing 

 every now and again on their beautifully-bronzed hides. 

 There were so many tracks that to follow the herd was 

 hopeless ; the Skunk was nowhere to be seen ; and so 

 we coasted round the edge of the plateau, peering down 

 among the bamboo clumps in the hope of discovering 

 the herd. After going about half round I suddenly 

 almost ran up against a cow in some long grass ; and 

 immediately T., who was a little to my right, called 

 out that the whole herd was standing: down below 

 among the bamboos. My cow had bolted off" in a 

 great fright, and I ran up to T. in time to see ten or 

 twelve bison scrambling up the opposite side of the 

 ravine — a Ions: shot from where we were. A bull 



