231 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



had considerable difficulty in distinguishing him 

 from a rock. 



He lay in a pretty favourable position for a 

 stalk, being some forty yards below the ridge of 

 the spur ; but, alas ! in a few moments another 

 head appeared coming over the ridge from the 

 opposite side, that of a hind ; then another, and 

 another, till at last five appeared, and began 

 moving about in a suspicious, uneasy manner, 

 occasionally stopping to browse off a branch of a 

 tree, or a mouthful of the short sweet grass just 

 springing up after a jungle fire. At length they 

 all but one lay down at various distances from 

 their lord and master, and luckily below him, on 

 the slope of the hill. The last hind, however, 

 seemed of a more suspicious frame of mind, and 

 kept sauntering backwards and forwards along 

 the ridge. Once she stopped, and gazed long 

 and steadfastly in the direction in which we were 

 lying motionless behind a clump of rock, as if she 

 thought something was not all quite right. Per- 

 haps she caught for an instant the glint of the 

 sun on my glasses. 



After watching her for about an hour, at last, 

 to our relief, she stretched herself out, and, 

 taking one more searching look, joined her 

 companions, and went and lay down nearly on 



