ABOUT SOME DEER. 253 



syce, or horse-keeper, in charge, we ascended the 

 hills, and, on reaching the summit, lit a fire, and 

 waited for dawn. Well, to make a long story 

 short, we wandered about all day following up 

 elephant-tracks, which were numerous enough, 

 but not one did we see, so at last we gave it up, 

 and turned for home, weary and disgusted. On 

 the way I shot a stag cheetal, and, whilst Paloo 

 and his companions were gralloching him, I sat 

 down and lit a pipe, some little distance off. 

 Presently a savoury odour as of cooking meat 

 smote upon my nostrils, and going down to the 

 spot where the cheetal had fallen, at the bottom 

 of a small ravine that ran up the hills, I found a 

 fire lit and culinary operations going on. 



Paloo had taken out the cheetal's liver, and, 

 cutting it into small, square pieces called i kabobs/ 

 had skewered them on a splinter of bamboo, and 

 then put them on the fire to cook, or rather scorch. 



Some of this delicacy was offered to me, but at 

 first my stomach revolted. However, at last the 

 pangs of hunger (for I had had nothing but a 

 couple of hard biscuits since my very early break- 

 fast) began to assert themselves, and I changed 

 my mind. Cutting open a cartridge, I sprinkled 

 a little gunpowder over the charred morsel, and 

 found it not unpalatable with the addition of that 

 excellent sauce, ' hunger.' 



