364 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



by our arrival, made a fierce leap at the stag, falling 

 short by about a yard of her intended mark. Instantly 

 the deer bounded forward, and with his fore-feet struck 

 the hound under water ; but in so doing he forgot his 

 fence, and exposed his fiank within striking distance 

 of his human foe. The spear was buried twice in his 

 side, and the dark water was streaked with crimson as 

 the blood poured from the wounds. The poor brute 

 now tries to struggle to the shore, but in vain ; the 

 dogs are upon him in a body, and their united weight 

 bears him down ; a few more spear thrusts, and the 

 gallant stacr is bubblino^ out his life under water. 



o o o 



The distance run must have been about four miles, 

 but I had ridden probably double that distance. The 

 dogs were a good deal done up, as the heat was by this 

 time tremendous ; but a swim in the river, and half an 

 hour in the cool shade made them all rio-ht ag^ain. These 

 Gondi docjs must have wonderful noses to follow deer 

 by scent over the burning ground at full speed, as they 

 are said to do. They had not much trouble on this 

 occasion, as the greyhound bitch had never lost sight 

 of the stag: to the finish, and cut out the work for the 

 others. 



At other times I have had excellent sport with the 

 fine breed of dogs possessed by the Banjara carriers 

 referred to in a former chapter. If the wild dog were 

 available to breed from, a still better hound for sambar- 

 hunting might probably be obtained. With more 

 regular organisation, better dogs, and more sportsmen, 

 sambar-hunting in this country might give admirable 

 sport. The best breed, if the wild dog is, as is pro- 

 bable, unavailable, would be the cross between the 

 Scotch deerhound and the Banjard dog, the former 

 being the mother. Pups of a Banjdra bitch almost 



