28 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



When about half-way up it, the beaters on the 

 opposite hill disturbed a nylghau. I could not see 

 any horns, and consequently did not care to fire, but 

 the shikari swearing it was a bull, I at last did take 

 a shot as it stood for a minute as if considering 

 where it should go. It was a very long shot, and 

 across a deep gorge, which is never conducive to 

 good shooting, and I missed. The beast at once 

 plunged into the jungle beneath, and we never saw 

 it again. At last I reached the ridge, which was 

 between two almost precipitous valleys. The beat 

 only produced one chikara,'* which I killed with the 

 smooth-bore. When the beat was over, I found that 

 some blue bulls had gone up the passes nearest the 

 plain, which were unwatched. 



The next beat only produced some pig, which, of 

 course, near a station, are sacred, being reserved for 

 pig-sticking. The others were evidently getting sick 

 of the whole thing, so I reluctantly gave the signal 

 to knock off, and we returned the way we had come. 

 Had we only known it we left the two best beats 

 behind us, and we could have taken them so as to 

 go home that way after a short climb. 



Breakfast over, I could find no one who cared to 

 leave the bungalow, so went out by myself. I had 

 a couple of beats in some high jungle on the left of 

 the valley of the castle itself, but saw nothing. I 

 returned rather disgusted, but convinced the want of 



* The gazelle, also known as the "ravine deer." This was one 

 of the few times I ever saw one in a ravine. 



