54 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



followed for some distance, not without great 

 difficulty, however, for they crossed and re-crossed 

 each other in the most labyrinthine manner, as 

 the c pachyderm ' had stopped here and there to 

 browse on some more than ordinarily tempting 

 morsel, and poor Ramiah was not much of a 

 c tracker,' whatever other pretensions he had to 

 being a shikari. Some time was spent in follow- 

 ing up and unravelling all these ramifications 

 before we got on a direct line again. Soon after 

 doing so, however, our hearts were rejoiced by 

 the sight of fresh ' droppings,' and we knew that 

 the object of our search could not be very far off. 

 The tracks led up the hills, which, on the plateau 

 at their summit, were clothed at intervals with 

 clumps of bamboo and large forest trees. Follow- 

 ing up the now plainly discernible track, we were 

 constantly startled by either a herd of sambur or 

 cheetal, who, roused from their mid-day siesta, 

 dashed down the stony side of the hill with a clatter 

 resembling a charge of cavalry. Needless to say, 

 they were unmolested, for were we not in pursuit 

 of larger and far nobler game ? On, on we toil- 

 ed, hot and weary, for the sun was now at its full 

 height, and Ramiah more than once betrayed 

 signs of giving in, and suggested that the ' dant- 

 wallah ' must be off on his travels again and going 

 away from the jungles. 



