HUNTING IN INDIA. 219 



become so distressed by thirst and exhaustion as to 

 give up the chase. On this occasion the ground was 

 soft and sandy, and consequently favourable to the 

 hounds. Greyhounds suffer fearfully from the stony 

 ground in India. I have often seen their claws cut 

 nearly off. This time they soon turned and re-turned 

 the fox, and wound up by running alongside of him,, 

 snapping at him but not daring to seize the un- 

 accustomed quarry in spite of my encouragement. 

 Finally the fox made for a rocky hillock covered with 

 cactus bushes, unsighted them, and got to ground. 

 This was provoking, and I did not find again. 



Two days afterwards, having ascertained that 

 jackals frequented a rocky hill not very far from my 

 house, I went out to see if I could try to induce them 

 to tackle this quarry, I took a couple of coolies with 

 me, and posting myself with the dogs on one side of 

 the hill, sent them to beat it from the other. Complete 

 success crowned this manoeuvre, for two jackals broke 

 close to me. I cheered on the dogs, who speedily 

 raced up to a "jack" but refused to close with him. 

 The brute showed fight, snarling and snapping at the 

 greyhounds, and waited till I was close to him, when 

 he made off. This time the dogs would not even 

 follow. Completely disheartened, I returned home, 

 and the same result occurred the next day and each 

 time I went out. I began to think my coursing would 

 never come to any good, when by good luck I heard 

 of two greyhounds, crossed with the native Ram- 

 pore breed, which were warranted to tackle anything. 

 I wrote to say I would buy them, and my offer 



