50 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



him down to the road, nearly a hundred feet below. 

 After gralloching him, I cut off the head, which with 

 some nine inches of neck was as much as ever P -- 

 and I could carry down between us. With the assis- 

 tance of some passing natives the shikari rolled the 

 carcase down the steep hill, and with great difficulty 

 we managed to raise it sufficiently to secure it to the 

 hind axle and springs. These proceedings took us 

 a good deal more than an hour, and it was nearly nine 

 o'clock before we reached our station. 



Nylghai have one great advantage over every 

 kind of Indian deer and antelope with which I am 

 acquainted, in that their meat is excellent eating. 

 Indeed, I know very few things much better than a 

 well - corned round of blue bull beef. Sambur is 

 practically uneatable, and spotted deer, antelope, and 

 gazelle are dry and tasteless. To my mind the most 

 toothsome of all Indian animals is the porcupine. But 

 I am digressing from my subject. 



Having got leave without difficulty, I and a non- 

 shooting companion started in a hired tonga or Indian 

 dog-cart, about half -past five the evening before. 

 This left us about an hour's daylight, which ought to 

 have been ample, but unfortunately neither we nor the 

 driver knew the road ; and going on my general know- 

 ledge of the whereabouts when his gave out entirely, 

 we wandered on through cotton -fields and across 

 dried-up torrent beds until long after dark. How- 

 ever, all's well that ends well, and at last we reached 



