322 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



tains are merely divided by the river. The name of the 

 " Hum Pahl" is derived from the circumstance of the river 

 being here obstructed by large masses of basalt, rising about 

 ten feet above the ordinary level of the stream, and giving 

 passage to the river through three very narrow channels, 

 across each of which, it is supposed, an antelope could bound. 

 Below this point for several miles the river is fringed with 

 dense masses of cypress, in which we had hoped to find tigers, 

 but our men, after a careful search, could find no fresh tracks. 

 We therefore forded the river, and encamped on the opposite 

 bank at Dhurrumrai. At this period the south-west monsoon 

 was blowing up through the gorge with great force, and we 

 were much annoyed by the fine alluvial dust in which we 

 were enveloped night and day. 



To the westward of our camp lay a very rugged ravine, 

 the sides of which had been rent asunder by some grand 

 natural convulsion. The rocks were divided by fearsome 

 chasms such as would delight the heart of Gustave Dore. 

 Into this ravine a patriarchal bear was marked by our men, 

 and, after some trouble, he was dislodged from his cavern and 

 shot by Cadell. Finding no more game here, we moved west 

 and pitched our tents at Dhie. 



Owing to the intense heat we always dined in the open 

 air, and as bed-time approached our beds were carried out 

 by the servants, and we slept with our four cots ranged round 

 the dinner-table. Among the Bheels in the hills I had no 

 fear of nocturnal thieves, but Murray, who had derived his 

 ideas of native honesty from the civilised inhabitants of the 

 plains, always took especial care to secure his guns at night. 

 For this purpose an iron chain was passed through the trigger- 

 guards, and the guns were thus attached to a large arm-chair 

 beside him. One morning about daybreak I saw the Bashi 



