338 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



the leader I brought both down, one stone dead, but 

 the other was only wounded, and went off at railway 

 speed, skimming over the water and lilies, for its 

 life, followed by two coolies ! The pond was 

 apparently only a couple of feet deep, but there were 

 holes, into which first one biped and then the other 

 fell, and rolled over amidst the roars of laughter of 

 the lookers-on and the muttered curses of the fallen. 

 But these aborigines had on only a strip of cloth a few 

 inches broad, tucked in between their legs, so a duck- 

 ing did them more good than harm. Leaving them to 

 follow the wounded duck, we went to retrieve the teal 

 the dead duck had already been picked up, and re- 

 covered five, but there were two or three others 

 wounded, that had swam away some distance, whilst 

 we were watching the duck-hunt, and on being 

 followed, dived, and probably got entangled in the 

 weeds and never rose again, so we lost them. By the 

 time we had strung these birds on the stick, the two 

 coolies were seen coming back in triumph with 

 the duck as well as the sand grouse, which they 

 had stumbled upon, and just saved as a hawk swooped 

 down to carry it off in its clutches. It was now past 

 eleven. I had never known the country so full of 

 game, even thirty odd years ago, but then the rules 

 of protection were not so stringent as they were now, 

 for none are allowed into the " rumnah " without a 

 pass, whereas in former days, though it was forbidden 

 to shoot the deer, yet no restriction was put upon the 

 slaying of small game. 



Finding a dry place I rested for half an hour, ate 

 some bread and Strasburg potted meat, washed 

 down by a pint of lager beer, gave the gun a wipe 



