THE NAKBADA VALLEY. 57 



with tlie green food. Although many of them are shot by the 

 village shikaris at night, and more snared and netted by the 

 professional hunters called Pardis (who use a trained bullock 

 in stalking round the herds to screen their movements), the 

 resources of the natives are altogether insufficient, in a country 

 favourable to them, to keep down the numbers of these prolific 

 and wary creatures ; and it is a perfect godsend to them when 

 the European sportsman hits on their neighbourhood as a 

 hunting-ground. 



There are many ways of circumventing them. Living quite 

 in the open, they rely principally on the sense of sight for 

 protection, although at times warned also by their power of 

 smell.. One way is to drive up to them in one of the bullock 

 carts commonly used in agriculture. The native shikari often 

 gets near tbem by creeping up behind a screen of leaves which 

 he works before him. Where they have not been much ha- 

 rassed the European sportsman, in sad- coloured garments, can 

 usually stalk in on them when passing between the grass 

 plains and the crops. In the very early morning, if a station 

 be taken up in their usual route, they are nearly sure to come 

 within shot, the grunting of the bucks warning the sportsman 

 of their approach some time before they emerge from the dark- 

 ness. One of the most successful and interesting plans is to 

 ride a steady shooting horse nearly up to the herd. When 

 within say four hundred yards, slip off and walk on the off 

 side of the horse in such a direction as will lead past the herd 

 within shot, if possible on the down-wind side. If they have 

 been so shot at in this way as to be shy of the horse, take a 

 groom and pass them further off; and when a convenient 

 bush or hillock intervenes drop behind, and let the man lead 

 the horse on, passing well clear of the herd. They will pro- 

 bably be so intent on watching them out of the way, that you 



