IN AN INDIAN FOEEST RESERVE 273 



for instance, the relics of a bird's nest on the bar of 

 a decayed punkah. But as it was not very hot that 

 did not matter. When we had doffed our riding 

 things and reappeared in clean white, dinner was 

 ready. The meal over, we sat for a long time in the 

 open air, watching the moon and the stars reflected 

 in the lake-like waters of the tank, and discussing the 

 chances of sport of next day. At last we turned in. 



Next day we were up betimes, but not very early, 

 as there was no need for hurry. After our tea had 

 been disposed of we mounted and started for the ren- 

 dezvous. Passing the village and the castle, a couple 

 of hundred yards through the jungle brought us to 

 another old gateway, which completed the circle of 

 the old defences. Going through this we shortly 

 emerged on a plain. Our way, however, led round 

 the outskirts of the hill till we came to another 

 native village called Nayagaon. Here we found the 

 shikari with a couple of forest constables and the 

 beaters, about sixty in number. After a preliminary 

 conference we dismounted and followed the shikari, 

 while the beaters took a path up the hillside. The 

 shikari posted two of the guns in a broad valley 

 separated from the plain by only one hill. The 

 other two of us he took towards the main hill. Here 

 he told us he proposed to post one near the base, 

 and the other in a saddle higher up. I elected to 



remain below, and my subaltern, P , had to climb 



the other hundred feet of rock. 



Scarcely had he done so when the beaters appeared 

 at the head of the valley. They advanced steadily, 

 and several times I heard the furious shouts which 



mean "game on foot." Presently P 's rifle rang 



out twice. Again this happened. The beaters had 



s 



