THE HIGHER NAKBADA. 349 



of finding that I was utterly alone, dogs and deer having 

 disappeared. 



I knew the direction of the river, and rode for that, but soon 

 got into the labyrinth of nalds that fringe its bed, and had 

 the greatest difficulty in forcing my nag through amongst the 

 bamboos. The nalas themselves were a perfect puzzle; in 

 and out and roundabout, they twisted like the alleys in fair 

 Bosamond's bower ; and I several times found myself in the 

 place I had just left. At last I got into the bed of one of the 

 principal of them, that led straight down to the Narbada* ; 

 and, by dint of occasionally putting my head under my pony's 

 neck and forcing him through the bamboos, and here and 

 there leaping a fallen tree, I soon emerged on the shingly 

 banks of the river, and, pulling up to listen, I thought I heard 

 a faint yelp far, far up the stream. 



A broad belt of sand and shingle intervened between the 

 jungle and the shrunken river, along which I galloped for 

 about a mile, the baying of the dogs becoming more and more 

 distinct as I rode. A few minutes after, I reached the scene 

 of conflict a shady nook of the river, arched in by the mas- 

 sive boughs of trees, interspersed with the feathering stems of 

 the bamboo. A giant forest tree lay felled by the brink of 

 the pool, worm-eaten and water-logged, as if it had lain there 

 for centuries, and beyond this stood the stag at bay, chest 

 deep in the water. Four of the G6ndi dogs and my grey- 

 hound bitch were baying him from the log; and just as I 

 arrived a black little Gond, spear in hand, emerged from the 

 forest and jumped on to the tree. Two or three prods he 

 made at him with his weapon failed to reach him ; and he 

 was just about to leap into the water, when the greyhound, 

 encouraged by our arrival, made a fierce leap at the stag, 

 falling short by about a yard of her intended mark. Instantly 



