AFTER SAMBUR 93 



risen instead of fallen in my estimation ; he is a brave, 

 good, determined shikaree, and a delightful companion. 

 You would have laughed had you seen us leave here 

 Brine and I leading on two rat -like animals, and all the 

 baggage carried by coolies (the lowest caste of Hindoo). 

 In this style we proceeded some way till we found 

 a place that struck our eyes as a likely spot for 

 an old stag or two, and there we camped, sending the 

 coolies, who are as noisy as the crows on a summer 

 evening, back again. It was a wild and beautiful spot we 

 pitched upon the forest running all round us. I intend, 

 if I can, to give you a short, but I hope satisfactory, 

 account of all my successes (B. killed nothing) ; I leave 

 out the blanks and disappointments, which have at 

 times been not a few. To make you understand my 

 adventures, it is absolutely necessary you should know 

 something of the animals they take place with. From 

 what I have already told you, I am sure the sambur 

 stands high in your idea of the grand and beautiful 

 mixed. But you have never heard a description of an 

 old stag ; he is grander than the veriest old royal that 

 ever toed the heather ; he is larger, more powerful, more 

 symmetrical ; and with all this he is such a hermit, he is 

 scarce ever seen by man ; his haunts lie amongst the 

 most glorious crags, forests, and mountains ; and he is 

 never seen save at the setting or rising of the sun ; his 

 mane is like a lion's. This is a moderate head, who 

 knows, though, that I may have to draw a * monster 

 stag ' ? The whole sport, to sum up this dry stuff, is like 

 Red-deer stalking in the olden times, only on a far 

 grander scale ; the work they give you is no baby's play 

 I can assure you. Well, we settled to work, and for 

 some days nothing happened no deer were to be seen. 

 One day I was in the tent writing, B. sitting opposite, 

 when a yelping in the wood outside the tent was heard, 



