198 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



jackal, one mongoose, one porcupine."^ (This seems 

 to have been a varied day.) 



" Several good runs, notably one with a fox. Killed 

 four hares." 



Further on I come to the following : — 



*^ Four good courses with foxes — killed two. Good 

 run after a gazelle. Also killed one mongoose." 



This is two months after my regularly beginning, 

 and these seem to have been the first foxes I killed. 

 I recollect they often beat me. No doubt the reason 

 was that they were a bit fast for the Indian dogs, 

 and the English ones were still unwilling to attack 

 unsupported. With regard to the gazelle, all grey- 

 hounds run them eagerly at first ; but by degrees 

 they begin to realise the hopelessness of the pursuit. 

 A gazelle is quite safe from the fastest greyhound. 

 Even with a leg broken it gives a very good course, 

 not by any means odds on the dogs. Some sportsmen 

 take them out buck-shooting for use in such cases. 



Not long afterwards a curious accident happened. 

 We had found three or four jackals together. The 

 hounds caught one, which cried wofully. Whereupon 

 another jackal appeared coming towards the "worry," 

 and not till I commenced to call the hounds off to 

 attack him did he take to his heels. I thought little 

 of it at the time, but I have since noticed a similar 

 incident mentioned in the papers as having occurred 

 with an Indian pack of fox-hounds. Is it paternal 

 or filial affection that calls the second to aid the 

 first ? Or does he take the cries for those the jackal 

 gives vent to at night when he smells food, and which 

 are so well known to all dwellers in hot climates ? 



To sum up Indian coursing, the hounds required 

 1 More properly a scaly ant-eater {Manis). 



