IN AN INDIAN FOREST EESEEVE 275 



smooth-bore. When the beat was over, I found that 

 some nilghai had gone up the passes nearest the plain, 

 which were unwatched. 



The next beat only produced some pig, which, of 

 course, near a station, are sacred, being reserved for 

 pig-sticking. The others were evidently getting sick 

 of the whole thing, so I reluctantly gave the signal 

 to knock off, and we returned the way we had come. 

 Had we only known it, we left the two best beats 

 behind us, and we could have taken them so as to go 

 home that way after a short climb. 



Breakfast over, I could find no one who cared to 

 leave the bungalow, so I went out by myself. I 

 had a couple of beats in some high jungle on the 

 left of the valley of the castle itself, but saw nothing. 

 I returned rather disgusted, but convinced the want 

 of sport was due to faulty arrangements rather than 

 to want of game. 



Next day we returned to the station, coursing as 

 we went. 



Scarcely a week had elapsed before I had arranged 

 to beat the same jungle again. Accordingly, on the 

 10th of August, driving out from the station, I ar- 

 rived at Nayagaon about nine o'clock. The shikari 

 had a score of beaters waiting. We first drove the 

 piece which had formed our first beat on the 3rd, I 



taking the station which had been P 's on that 



day. I hoped to kill some more of the hysenas, 

 concerning which the natives made bitter complaints. 

 I did not, however, think that these complaints were 

 well founded, knowing the cowardly nature of these 

 brutes, and felt sure a panther had been at work. 

 However, neither panther nor hysena was at home. I 



