236 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



it lay in my beat, I took after these deer, while T. held on 

 up the valley. When I got to the top, a stiff climb of five 

 or six hundred feet, the eastern heavens were suffused with 

 that beautiful greenish yellow flush which immediately pre- 

 cedes sunrise in an Indian sky. It was light enough (it never 

 is very dark at any time of night at this season of the year) 

 to distinguish a couple of the Bheels perched on a higher peak 

 of the same range ; and on seeing me top the rise one of 

 them stole softly down to me, and said that the herd, followed 

 by the stag, had proceeded leisurely down the thickly wooded 

 declivity on the opposite side. After a consultation, it was 

 determined that I should keep along the top of the ridge, 

 while two of the Bheels were to follow the track of the herd, 

 and if they saw them come up and let me know. I went 

 along slowly from one commanding point to another, keeping 

 a little ahead of the Bheels, who tracked the herd along the 

 slope, not very far below the top. In the course of one of 

 these moves I started the herd from some long grass near the 

 top. There were fifteen or twenty of them, but no good stags, 

 so far as I could see as they bustled away along the hill side 

 in a confused mob, the round light-coloured patches on their 

 rumps looking like so many targets as they switched their 

 tails in the air. It was very tempting, but I wanted the fine 

 horns of the stag and let them go. I was rewarded soon 

 after by the appearance of the stag, walking slowly along in 

 the same line, and showing by his dignified gait that he had 

 no suspicion of danger. He was passing about a hundred 

 yards below me when I pulled on his shoulder with the little 

 single " Express ' rifle, and he fell to the shot without a sound. 

 The Bheels came running up at once, and as I had not gone 

 down to the stag proceeded to cut his throat in the orthodox 

 Mahomedan fashion, though I am certain he was stone dead 



