336 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



over the hill, and crossed the river at some distance from 

 Blowers, who fired without effect. They then went off over 

 an open country, cultivated here and there with crops of 

 millet. My men pursued them on foot for several miles, 

 keeping them in view, and eventually turning them back 

 towards the river, where they lay up in some high grain. As 

 the men advanced, several jackals broke away, but just as 

 they reached the end of the field, the cheetahs bounded out. 

 I fired, and wounded one ; however, they went on, and passing 

 through some tall hemp, swam over a deep pool in the river, 

 and went across the grass lands. Here they were headed by 

 a party of my men. The wounded beast, being unable to 

 keep up with his companion, halted, and, creeping up to a 

 small tuft of grass, lay down. We went up to him, and as 

 he lay ready for a charge, I fired and turned him over. The 

 cheetah, from his great length of limb, stands very high, and 

 an imperfect view of him in the jungle will often lead to his 

 being mistaken for a tiger. 



Chinkara or gazelles were found on the hilly ground north 

 of the cantonment, and I frequently went after them with 

 Futtah. On these occasions we started off on my riding 

 camel, which I drove, while Futtah, who sat behind me, 

 carried my rifle. On sighting the deer, I would either dis- 

 mount and stalk them, or send Futtah, who was a good 

 marksman, and, like all his race, an excellent stalker, to take 

 the shot, while I, moving off on the camel, assisted him by 

 attracting the attention of the deer. We seldom went home 

 empty-handed, and often had a couple of bucks slung to the 

 saddle on our return. 



After the rainy season the plains were covered with grass 

 three feet in height, and here we found florican in consider- 

 able numbers. But the extent of grass was very great, and 



