Hunting an Onager. 177 



but simply kept steadily on at a regulated pace. When close up I saw the older ones give a 

 push every now and then to one of the younger ones; and I can quite believe the statement 

 made to me some time before by an old shikari, that when put to it the bigger donkeys close 

 in behind the young ones, and regularly push or butt them on with their foreheads. 



"The effect of my riding at them in this way was to break up the tola into two divisions — one 

 division consisting of two big ones and three young ones, and the other of two big ones and one 

 young one. My first impulse was to follow the three young ones, especially as I noticed that they 

 were smaller than the young one in the other division; but when I saw the bigger division heading 

 straight up the Runn, whilst the smaller one was holding on in the direction of the Murdoch 

 Doongur, where I knew my second horse and a fresh party were lying in wait, I considered it 

 best to stick to the latter. Arrived at the hill, the animals took along the base, which was 

 unpleasant going, being much cut up and very rocky. Some of the fresh party appeared and 

 joined in, but my second horse was nowhere to be seen. In despair I urged on my already 

 tired horse, and so continued for about five miles further, when my animal, completely exhausted, 

 could go no longer. I then pulled up, turned his head to the wind, and loosened the girths. 

 Whilst doing this, one of the pursuing party from Murdoch passed me, and to my joy announced 

 that my second horse was coming. A {q.\w minutes later and I was on his back, and away, but 

 I found J. had lost ground terribly. The donkeys and the leading horsemen were nowhere to 

 be seen; but in the distance, appearing like a dot upon the horizon, was the last man who had 

 spoken to me, and who I knew was on the track. I galloped after him, and after a long chase 

 managed to catch him up. It is very difficult to calculate distances upon the Runn ; but when 

 I got up to this man he pointed out some specks, which he said were the leading sowars, and 

 they seemed to me some two or three miles off. By dint of riding I managed to get up close, 

 and after going about ten miles I found myself gradually gaining on them. They were still, 

 however, only indistinctly visible, as the mirage made everything look strange and distorted. The 

 pugs of the donkeys were clear: there were the prints of the two bigger animals, and there were 

 the sharper and smaller prints of the young one. The sight of these pugs cheered me on and 

 filled me with hope. Presently I saw the dots in front all apparently commingling, and shortly 

 afterwards I saw that they were stationary, and that I was gaining on them every stride. Another 

 couple of miles and I was up, when I found the young ass effectually secured by two long ropes 

 and held between a couple of grinning Meeanas of the Murdoch Doongur party; only myself of 

 the first party which started from Kesmella Beer being up. The animal appeared much exhausted, 

 and was bleeding from a wound in the quarter, which the Meeanas said was from a horse-bite, but 

 which was really a spear-wound inflicted by one of them who lost his head in the heat of the 

 moment; in fact, this was the way they stopped her. 



"The little donkey — a female — stands 9 hands 2j inches high (according to Jerdon, it will 

 ultimately reach 12 hands), and appears to be about 6 months old. It soon got over its 

 exhaustion and wound, and is now as lively as a kitten. I have offered it to the Zoological 

 Society at home ; so it is quite possible that its days, begun on the Kutch Runn, may terminate 

 in the heart of London. * 



" It has been estimated that the total distance 01 the hunt, from Kesmella Beer to the 

 place of capture, was forty miles. The chase commenced at 6.25 A.M., and terminated at 

 9.30 A.M., so that it lasted exactly three hours and five minutes. Considering the rate of 

 going, I imagine this estimate to be correct ; my first horse was ridden to a standstill, my 

 second almost so. Men and cattle were all more or less done up. I rode list,, my com- 

 panions considerably lighter." 

 X 



