348 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



200 yards of where the dogs were concealed, when I observed 

 a dun hide glance between two bushes, and shortly afterwards 

 the whole herd of sa^nbar filed slowly down the face of the 

 hill. Indecision still swayed them, and, fearing lest they 

 might yet break back, I fired off my rifle ; at the same time 

 a round stone from the beaters rolled down the hill among 

 them, and down they galloped straight for the hounds. The 

 Gonds, in their eagerness, slipped their dogs too soon, and 

 about half the herd broke back through the beaters after all ; 

 the rest took across the plain in the direction of the spur the 

 bears had reached. Shouting to my man to let loose the grey- 

 hounds, as the deer were in full view, I started off at the best 

 pace I could muster over such ground. Had it not been for 

 my own dogs, the sdmbar would probably have reached the 

 hills and been safe ; but, as it was, they shot ahead of the 

 Gondi pack, and the sambar, finding they could not make the 

 hills, turned off towards the river. By cutting off an angle 

 here I gained a good deal on the chase, and could see that my 

 hounds, dog and bitch, were well up. The dog is a heavy, 

 powerful, Kampur hound, while the bitch, more lightly made, 

 has considerably the speed of him. As I came up, she made 

 a gallant rush at the hindmost stag, and, springing at his 

 hocks, deer and dog rolled over together. She wanted power, 

 however ; and, before the dog was up to help her, the stag was 

 up and pegging away as fast as ever. Two or three of the 

 Gondi dogs now joined in at a respectful distance, but going 

 as if they meant something. Shortly afterwards I came 

 up to a deep nald, and missing the pass by which the 

 deer and dogs had crossed, lost a deal of distance in 

 trying to find it out. Everywhere else the bank was 

 about twenty feet deep, and nearly perpendicular. At last 

 I found the place, and, crossing over, had the satisfaction 



