244 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



before we got up we heard the alarmed snort of the sentry, 

 and the crash of the herd through the jungle. We now 

 walked along a ridge between two deep valleys on the 

 right hand that in which the camp should be, and on the left 

 another leading down to where we had started from in the 

 morning. We saw the startled herd far below us in the 

 latter, crossing over at a swinging trot, and afterwards 

 mounting the range beyond. The Shrimp said they were 

 doubtless making for " Dhowtea " ! Further on, the Shrimp 

 pointed to a motionless coal-black form standing against the 

 sky-line, which the telescope showed to be a mighty bull. 

 He stood for a few minutes till the cows came up and passed 

 across him, and then stalked solemnly after them. He, too, 

 was no doubt going to Dhowtea ! We were walking on dis- 

 gusted when my eye caught another jet-black figure among 

 the trees ahead of us, and we crouched into nothing as 

 another bull walked slowly into an open space about half a 

 mile ahead. After gazing round in every direction he slowly 

 began to descend to the same valley. He, too, appeared, like 

 the rest of them, to have started for Dhowtea. But he was not 

 there yet, and we determined at least to give him a run for 

 it; so, waiting till he was concealed by the fall of the 

 ground, we doubled down a rocky watercourse to cut him 

 off, if possible, from the valley. We succeeded ; for he evi- 

 dently got our wind, and sheered off from the pass down to the 

 river, walking slowly and magnificently along the edge of a 

 precipitous fall, apparently looking for another way down. 

 There was none such, however ; and we followed him along 

 in short running stalks, gaining on him every time he got 

 hidden for a minute by inequalities of the ground. The 

 hill we were on gradually narrowed to the saddleback form 

 so common in this range, and not far ahead seemed to ter- 



