30 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



runs a range of very stony hills, with deep ravines filled with 

 rocks and bushes. In these we frequently shot pigs. On 

 different occasions we started panthers, but never succeeded in 

 bagging one. Hysenas were less fortunate, and we slew 

 several. Langton, of my regiment, shot a very large one, 

 whose striped sides he had at first mistaken for a tiger. As 

 he wished to preserve the skin, we proceeded to remove it on 

 the ground, and had taken it off all but the tail, round the 

 root of which a rope was tied, and, while Langton and I held 

 on to the rope, half-a-dozen natives hauled bravely at the 

 head and legs. The skin was strong and tough ; but at last 

 it stripped off, and came away with a run, the beaters tumbling 

 backwards down the hill in a heap, while we rolled over in 

 the opposite direction. 



A hare rose at my feet one morning near these hills, and 

 as she went off at speed I bowled her over with a bullet. 



But the happy hunting-grounds of Dharwar lay in the 

 Dandelly jungles, thirty-five miles to the S.W. Hay ward 

 and I had long been anxious to visit them, but they were 

 said to be malarious, and our commandant was shy of giving 

 us leave. In those days we did not believe in fevers, or at 

 any rate were quite willing to risk them in the hope of sport ; 

 so perhaps it was as well that we did not get our own way, 

 for I believe that till the ground is thoroughly dry the jungles 

 are not safe. 



It was towards the end of April that, at the close of a long 

 march, we reached Hullihal, about six miles from the bunga- 

 low, on the banks of the Kala ISTuddee. 



The latter is a noble river, flowing through the heart of 

 the jungle where we were to shoot. As we intended to push 

 on again in the afternoon, we made a halt under some trees, 

 and sent one of our servants into the village for supplies. 



