178 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



cheetah was slipped. We moved on quietly with the cart, 

 and had a splendid opportunity of observing the leopard 

 approach his game. Crawling like a snake over bare ground, 

 and taking advantage of the smallest shrubs and tufts of 

 grass, he crept forward. But the deer were in the middle of 

 a bare field, and when the cheetah did make his rush, they 

 saw him at once, and fled with amazing swiftness. No capture 

 was effected, and we returned to the tents. 



Our journey ings took us through Hameerpoor to Cawn- 

 pore and Lucknow, and we rejoined our own camp in Bun- 

 delcund, passing through Oorae. Here we were entertained 

 very hospitably by two officers, who were on detachment 

 duty. Food was scarce, and they trusted a good deal to their 

 guns for provisions. It was then the cold season, and a large 

 pot was kept constantly on the fire in the sitting-room, and 

 into this all manner of eatables were thrust promiscuously, 

 hens, hares, venison, ducks, quails, potatoes, turnips, sauces 

 of sorts, etc. etc. The mess was, however, excellent, and there 

 was always a pleasing uncertainty as to the nature of the 

 food which the spoon would fish up. We were a merry party 

 of four, but a few months later I was the only one left to 

 tell the tale. Two fell in the massacre at Cawnpore, and 

 Hunt, with another officer, was shot by the mutineer cavalry 

 of the Mehidpore Contingent at Mulharghur. 



Our return march was via Agra and Gwalior to Indore. 

 We moved too fast to allow of any chance of large game. At 

 Kolarus we were taken out by some of the people of the place, 

 but the jungles were green and very extensive, and we saw 

 that the whole thing was absurd. Late in the afternoon, as 

 we were returning home on our elephants, we saw several 

 nylghae on a hill above us. They were moving among thick 

 bushes, and more from a wish to empty my rifle than from 



