2G0 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



other bison. He, too, was fairly off for Dhowtea — and, 

 as it seemed and we hoped, seeing that we could not 

 have him, without a wound. 



Life was now a blank. The Shrimp had lingered 



far behind, and there was no one to show us 



the way, while the Skunk was goodness knows where 



with the ponies and water. So we slowly and sadly 



descended the hill to our own valley, and walked on in 



the probable direction of camp, chewing grass in our 



speechless mouths. About a mile further on we were 



joined by the villainous Shrimp, who had taken a line 



of his own for home when he saw us bent on pushing 



the big bull to extremities. There was no water in all 



this valley, he said, excepting one pool miles ahead 



where our camp should be. After getting the direction, 



we started him off to find the ponies and water and 



bring them to meet us. It was now midday, and the 



sun was blazing hot — a quivering haze that made the 



eyes twinkle playing along the surface of the earth. 



After plodding along for some miles more, we came to 



a pathway by which we thought the ponies must pass ; 



and there we sat down completely exhausted in the 



scanty shade of a wild fig-tree. A mhowa grew close 



by, and some of its luscious flowers tempted us to try 



if they would assuage our raging thirst. Bah ! never 



was anything more horrible than the clammy taste and 



fetid odour of that sickening product. Our mouths 



were now glued up as well as parched, and when at last 



the people came we could only make signs for the 



water, and replied not at all to the Skunk when he 



assured us that a big bear had been besieging him and 



the ponies on the road for ever so long not very far 



from where we were. After a draught that no one 



