50 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



No large game being found within a day's shoot, we were 

 obliged to be contented with what we could get. Foxes and 

 jackals were plentiful, and we set to work to collect grey- 

 hounds, or rather long-legged dogs of all sorts. We had some 

 Persian greyhounds, but found they could not stand the hot 

 weather, when they invariably pined off and died. With 

 Polygars we were more successful ; but the best dogs of 

 our pack were from a large Arab mother and a thoroughbred 

 English dog, which had been brought out by an officer of my 

 regiment. They were large, handsome hounds, having the 

 dash and speed of the English dog, while from their mother 

 they inherited hard and durable feet, which enabled them to 

 stand over the rocky hills and ravines in which we generally 

 found our game. As greyhounds I fear they would not have 

 passed muster in this country, but they were well adapted 

 for the work they had to do. Every dog " ran cunning ; " and, 

 in fact, had they not done so we should have had few kills to 

 chronicle, for the country was covered with rocks and stones 

 and scrub jungle, and earths were plentiful 



Our season did not commence till about December, by 

 which time the higher crops had been removed from the 

 valleys running up among the hills, and the grass was cut in 

 most places. After February the weather began to get very 

 hot, and the dogs could not stand the sun after 7 A.M., so our 

 hours of sport were limited to the early mornings. 



Our usual plan was to send out the dogs a few miles from 

 the cantonment before daybreak, and then follow on horseback, 

 so as to be up with them as soon as there was light enough 

 to see clearly. On our arrival the dogs were cast loose ; we 

 generally ran from two to four together, and sending the dog- 

 boy home, wandered over the hills and ravines till we found. 



Together with the greyhounds I always had a small terrier, 



