22 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



make the most discordant din, and rouse any 

 decent-minded boar to a sense of the necessity of 

 seeking safety in flight. The beaters having been 

 all seated in a circle, next followed the distribu- 

 tion of small circular pieces of tin, stamped with 

 the letters 'N.H.,' (Nagpore Hunt), the initials of 

 the Hunt, and known amongst the natives as 

 c tikul,' ' tickkut,' and every possible pronuncia- 

 tion of the word ticket that could suggest itself 

 to the unenlightened nigger's mind. No beater 

 was paid at the end of the day unless he pro- 

 duced and gave up his ticket. This was neces- 

 sary to prevent fraud, as otherwise the number 

 of men, and even children, who would vow they 

 had been beating all day was innumerable. 



The tickets being all duly distributed and 

 counted, Manajee proceeded to marshal his forces, 

 and with a l Chulo baie,' or, c Let us go on, bre- 

 thren,' the little army got into motion preparatory 

 to forming line, whilst Thompson and I rode on 

 to post ourselves, accompanied by our horse- 

 keepers, carrying spare spears. Thompson was 

 riding his Arab, whilst I bestrode my three- 

 cornered beauty, keeping my weather-eye open 

 for any little ebullition of temper on his part. 

 The spot we selected was in a gorge that ran up 

 and half divided the hill, and from whence we 

 could command a good view, whilst remaining 



