218 SHIKAR SKETCHED 



caused us to remember the day with pleasure 

 instead of numbering it among one's black-letter 

 days. 



Now for incident No. 2. We were, a few days 

 after the fruitless expedition just related, en- 

 camped at a place called Mehal Kini. 



Early in the morning, in fact before daylight, 

 we had all gone to some small conical hills out 

 on an open plain, on the chance of meeting bears, 

 and riding and spearing them a feat I never had 

 the good fortune to perform ; for, though I often 

 tried, I never had the chance to come across one 

 on rideable ground. Hebbert had, however, 

 speared several himself, and described the sport 

 as a very fine one. However, on this occasion, 

 like on many others, we were unsuccessful, for 

 ' divil a bear ' came near us, though from pretty 

 fresh tracks they evidently had been in the habit 

 of lying among the boulders and overhanging 

 rocks with which the hill-sides were strewn. 



After leaving the hills, we saw a couple of 

 hyaenas go into a small 4 sind-bund,' or grove of 

 ' sindee ' palms, and, faute de mieux, determined 

 to have a gallop after them. On beating the 

 cover, a sounder of eight or nine hog broke, con- 

 taining a fairish boar, so of course we elected to 

 ride them instead of the more ignoble game. We 

 had a good spin over rather rough ground, plen- 



