viri THE LEOPARD 171 



once replaced the hood upon the falcon and prepared for another 

 flight. He explained the reason for the peculiar behaviour of the 

 falcon in taking a different direction from its game ; it was afraid 

 of the water beneath, into which both birds must have fallen had 

 the heron been struck before it had cleared the surface ; it had 

 therefore attained a high altitude in a different direction, from 

 which it could swoop obliquely when the lake no longer lay beneath 

 them. This man was a high authority, and he assured me that 

 many well-trained falcons would decline to strike a bird when flying 

 across water, as they thoroughly understood the danger. 



We had several good flights, in one of which a large crane suc- 

 cumbed after a very severe struggle, which seemed to test the 

 utmost strength of the peregrine, but in every case the attack was 

 delivered from a superior altitude, which left no chance of escape 

 to the bird beneath ; the result depended upon the power of the 

 falcon to continue its hold during the struggles of the heavier and 

 more powerful bird. 



On the day following our arrival at Dubka, we devoted ourselves 

 to hunting the black-buck with cheetah. In this sport, all persons, 

 excepting the keepers of the animals, are simply spectators, and no 

 interference is permitted. Each cheetah occupies a peculiar cage, 

 which forms the body of a cart, drawn by two bullocks. When 

 game is expected, the cheetah is taken from the cage, and occupies 

 the outside seat upon the top, together with the keeper. The 

 animal is blinded by a hood, similar to that worn by the falcon, 

 and it sits upright like a dog, with the master's arm around it, 

 waiting to be released from the hood, which it fully understands is 

 the signal that game is sighted. 



There were plenty of black-buck, and we were not long in find- 

 ing a herd, in which were several good old buck, as black as night. 

 Nothing could be more favourable than the character of the ground 

 for the natural habits of the cheetah. The surface was quite flat 

 and firm, being a succession of glades more or less open, surrounded 

 by scattered bush. A cheetah was now taken from its cage, and 

 it at once leapt to the top, and sat with its master, who had re- 

 leased it from the hood. After an advance of about 200 yards, 

 the wheels making no noise upon the level surface, we espied the 

 herd of about twenty antelopes, and the cart at once halted until 

 they had slowly moved from view. Again the cart moved forward 

 for 70 or 80 paces, and two bucks were seen trotting away to the 

 left, as they had caught a glimpse of the approaching cart. In an 

 instant the cheetah was loosed ; for a moment it hesitated, and 

 then bounded forward, although the two bucks had disappeared. 



