THE NILGHERRIES. 159 



tracking him by the blood for some 

 miles, till we approached a little wood 

 by the river side, and saw on the hill 

 beyond it some hill-men running down 

 to us. The elk was in the wood, they 

 said ; so we formed line and searched 

 it through and through, but without suc- 

 cess. It grew dark, and the shikaries 

 declared that the stag must have lain 

 down in the river, leaving only his 

 nostrils clear of the surface, this being 

 a known way of concealment practised 

 by wounded elk. After this there 

 was nothing for it but to grope our 

 way back to Pycaroo, and next morn- 

 ing I was obliged to return. The elk 

 I shot looked near fourteen hands 

 high, but his horns were in the velvet. 

 A dear friend of mine, now dead, 



