236 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



summit, however, and raise my head inch by inch, 

 a large stone slips from under my feet, and goes 

 rolling down the hill, and in a moment the whole 

 of the deer are up and on their feet, gazing 

 steadily towards us. I am well hidden, however, 

 and only some fifty yards off, so a miss is im- 

 possible ; and, covering the stag's shoulder, I fire. 

 There is a tremendous clatter, as the deer rush 

 down the declivity, and plunge into the forest 

 below all but one, at least : my stag, who is 

 rolling over and over down the hillside in the last 

 agonies of death. Juggoo, however, rushes after 

 him, arid soon the ' hal-hal ' is performed, which 

 makes his flesh fit food for all orthodox Mahome- 

 dans. 



I had many another stalk in these hills, but 

 never got another decent head. Once or twice I 

 bagged stags with a snap-shot, only to find their 

 horns in velvet ; for, in firing at running deer 

 through thick cover, it is almost impossible to 

 distinguish whether their horns are in velvet or 

 not. 



Unlike their brethren at home, I believe deer 

 in India have no regular time for shedding their 

 antlers. I have shot two stag cheetal out of the 

 same herd, one of whose horns were in perfect 

 order, whilst his companion's were in velvet. 

 The loud and metallic sounding bellow of a stag 



