THE HIGHEE NAEBADA. 345 



course the considerable distinction, that the wild dog cannot 

 bark, while the tame one can. But how readily the voice of 

 the latter reverts to the howl of the wild animal must have 

 been remarked by everyone who has passed by a village when 

 they came forth to salute him. 



But to return to our muttons. I arranged with the owners 

 of some of these red dogs to have a morning's sambar-hunting 

 with them, assisted by two capital hounds of my own. Scouts 

 were out before daybreak, and marked down a herd of about 

 twenty sdmbar on a spur which jutted out into the plain from 

 the main range of hills. This spur was covered with mhowd 

 trees, the deciduous flowers of which have a strong attraction 

 for all sorts of deer, as well as bears and Gonds. The former 

 come long distances at night to eat the flowers that drop in 

 great profusion as soon as ripe, Bruin, if too late for the feast, 

 having no objection to scramble up and get some for himself. 

 The plan was to send a strong body of beaters round to the 

 neck of the spur, while we were to post ourselves with the 

 dogs where it ended in the plain. I call it plain, but it was 

 so only comparatively speaking. Broken and treacherous 

 "cotton-soil" it was, intersected by numerous ndUs, and 

 about as bad ground to ride over as could well be 

 wished. 



We were wending our way down a somewhat precipitous 

 pathway that led from the village to the scene of operations, 

 when the Gond to whom I was talking dropped behind on 

 some pretence or other, and shortly afterwards we passed one 

 of the primitive altars they erect near almost every pathway. 

 This consists of a platform of hard mud, on which are con- 

 structed, of the same material, small models of the necessary 

 implements of their simple life, such as a cooking-place, flat 

 plate, etc. Near the platform is a stake planted in the 



