150 WILD LIFE IN NORTH CANARA. 



us. At ten paces from the path they 

 halted in line, staring at us with their 

 noses in the air. The landslip obliged 

 us to pass close in front of them, and 

 telling my men to follow very quietly, 

 and assuming an indifference I was far 

 from feeling, I moved slowly past the 

 forest of horns and noses, prepared to 

 fire and stampede them if they moved. 

 Fortunately for us not a head was 

 lowered, and as we cleared the phalanx 

 the herdsman ran yelling down the 

 hill, a call which seemed to calm the 

 herd, and they submitted to be driven 

 upward. From this point I sent the 

 mud-cased pony to Pycaroo, and de- 

 voted myself to the ibex I was to shoot 

 before breakfast. On and on we 

 prowled along the brows of grand 



