178 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



deer and small game. Hebbert started off by him- 

 self about three p.m., but only got a c chikara,' or 

 ravine deer, whilst Davidson and I did not go out 

 till an hour later, riding our horses, and with our 

 guns and rifles carried behind us. After proceed- 

 ing some little distance I had to canter back to 

 camp for something I had forgotten, and on rejoin- 

 ing Davidson at the edge of a large nullah that 

 ran into the Kuni river, now nearly dry, he told 

 me he had fired at, and thought he had wounded, 

 a fine stag i cheetal/ or spotted deer, which had 

 then entered the nullah. We determined, there- 

 fore, to follow this up, though there were no signs 

 of blood ; still the thick cool patches of jumun 

 bushes, that fringed the edges and bottom of the 

 nullah, looked likely to hold game. 



Separating accordingly, we took our rifles, and 

 one went each side of the nullah, our horses being 

 led some hundred yards behind us. We had gone 

 but a short distance when an extra thick, cool, 

 gamey-looking patch of cover in the bed of the 

 nullah attracted my attention, so kicking up a 

 large tuft of grass I hurled it in. This was 

 answered by a loud ' wough-wough,' and out 

 sprang a tigress, who was scrambling up the 

 opposite bank when I fired at her. She flinch- 

 ed at the shot, and half fell back when I let 

 her have the second barrel, yelling to Davidson 



