132 PEA-FOWL AND JUNGLE-FOWL. 



whose unerring barrels they are brought down in capital 

 form, for he is as good a hand with his sporting implements 

 as he is known to be with those of his craft. 



A fair number of black partridges are accounted for ere 

 we reach a more jungly part of our beat, when the cheery 

 crowing of jungle-fowl and the musical cry of an old pea- 

 cock advise us that we are likely to add variety to our bag. 

 Presently there is a " yap yap " from the dogs, followed by 

 such a clucking and general disturbance among the little 

 cocks and hens, as some flutter up into the trees, whilst 

 others, older and more wary, either scurry off through the 

 bushes, or wing their rapid flight as they betake themselves 

 to a safer locality, that it seems just as if we are in the 

 vicinity of a poultry-yard. One or two of the less crafty 

 ones are rather shamelessly potted on their perches, whence 

 they fall almost into the jaws of the dogs that are barking 

 at them below, by which diversion their attention has been 

 distracted from us their more dangerous foes, as we approach 

 them under cover of the bushes. The unusual row dis- 

 turbs from its noonday repose a cheetal (spotted deer), to 

 which our physician administers a dose of leaden pills, but 

 at such a distance as to have little effect. 



Our musical friend the peacock having betrayed his where- 

 abouts by again raising his melodious voice a practice usual 

 with pea-fowl on hearing a shot in their vicinity, though 

 they are otherwise uncommonly knowing the old fellow is 

 soon ejected by the dogs from his retreat among a tangled 

 mass of elephantine creeper, where he has ensconced himself 

 in the vain hope of concealment, and from which he extri- 

 cates his splendid long train with considerable difficulty and 

 much flapping of wings, thereby giving an easy chance to 

 one of the party. 



Now came a very agreeable and welcome part of the day's 

 proceedings, when we called a halt in a shady nook beside 

 the stream, where it formed itself into a deep swirling pool. 

 From this, had we come provided with a trout-rod, we might 



