ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 



forward with the trained deer and their keeper. As soon as 

 they were observed by the herd, the reigning buck came for- 

 ward, shaking his head, and evidently bent on having a fight 

 with the new comer, whose does he no doubt intended, in true 

 Oriental fashion, to sweep into his own harem. He was 

 followed, at a few yards' distance, by the rest of the herd, and 

 they all advanced steadily till within fifty yards of the stalk- 

 ing-party. Hunt would have dropped the buck had he had a 

 fair chance of shooting, but he was so persuaded that he must 

 be seen if he moved, that he kept his eye steadily fixed through 

 the opening in the screen, which was placed too low to enable 

 him to shoot conveniently. At this moment a horseman, who 

 had been sent out by the chief to inquire after our welfare, 

 came up on a screaming horse, and the herd went off at 

 speed. Neither of us being inclined to go farther, we mounted 

 our horses, and returned to the camp. 



We marched next morning, and the chief sent with us his 

 hunting cheetahs, with orders to their attendants to accompany 

 us for several days on our journey. The country was not, 

 however, favourable, and antelope were not seen. We went 

 out one afternoon, on the report of a man who said he had 

 seen deer. We found they were chinkara ; and the man in 

 charge of the cheetahs informed us that these small deer were 

 too active for this sort of work. We therefore left the leopard 

 behind some bushes with our horses, and, taking his cart, I 

 went forward with my rifle. The deer allowed us to approach 

 within eighty yards, and I dropped the buck with the first 

 barrel. The doe darted off, and then stood looking at us. 

 She was at least 150 yards off, and looked very small, but I 

 bagged her with the second shot, greatly to the astonishment 

 of the cartman. We then returned to the cheetah. Farther 

 on we came on some more chinkara, and, at my request, the 



N 



