246 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



heat and thirst, the remaining three shots had no effect ; and 

 then we sat down perfectly exhausted, to watch the bull as he 

 gained the valley and crossed the stream-bed halting for a few 

 seconds under a shady tree to look back ere he set himself to 

 mount the further slope, which he did in the line taken by 

 the other bison. He, too, was fairly off for Dhowtea and, as 

 it seemed and we hoped seeing that we could not have him, 

 without a wound. 



Life was now a blank. The Shrimp had lingered far 

 behind, and there was no one to show us the way, while the 

 Skunk was goodness knows where with the ponies and water. 

 So we slowly and sadly descended the hill to our own valley, 

 and walked on in the probable direction of camp, chewing grass 

 in our speechless mouths. About a mile further on we were 

 joined by the villainous Shrimp, who had taken a line of his 

 own for home when he saw us bent on pushing the big bull to 

 extremities. There was no water in all this valley, he said, 

 excepting one pool miles ahead where our camp should be. 

 After getting the direction, we started him off to find the 

 ponies and water and bring them to meet us. It was now 

 mid-day, and the sun was blazing hot a quivering haze 

 that made the eyes twinkle playing along the surface of the 

 earth. After plodding along for some miles more, we came 

 to a pathway by which we thought the ponies must pass ; 

 and there we sat down completely exhausted in the 

 scanty shade of a wild fig-tree. A mhowa grew close by, 

 and some of its luscious flowers tempted us to try if they 

 would assuage our raging thirst. Bah ! never was anything 

 more horrible than the clammy taste and fetid odour of that 

 sickening product. Our mouths were now glued up as well 

 as parched, and when at last the people came we could only 

 make signs for the water, and replied not at all to the Skunk 



