CHASED BY HILL PONIES. 5 1 



walked up the bank and stood staring at him for some time, 

 within fifteen yards. Watson very wisely refrained from 

 firing, although his shikarie urged him to do so ; at last to his 

 great relief the tiger walked quietly away, and after going a 

 few paces broke into a trot and disappeared amongst the 

 bamboos. 



We visited the forest again in June, on a short trip of ten 

 days, but the monsoon set in and spoilt our sport, or more 

 correctly the sport was not up to our anticipations. We had 

 rather an exciting incident on our way home. The natives 

 turn their ponies loose on the outskirts of the forest during 

 the monsoon, for grazing ; these " tats " as they are called, are 

 half wild, and many of them the most vicious brutes you can 

 imagine ; we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a drove 

 of them, and the moment they saw us they came charging 

 down on us with loud neighs ; there was nothing for it but to 

 bolt. Two ponies came after me, and it was as much as I 

 could do to keep out of their clutches ; a bite in the thigh 

 from one of these brutes would be no joke. As I doubled 

 and turned from them I could not help thinking of the poor 

 hares and foxes I was so fond of coursing, and the two open- 

 mouthed ponies on my flanks gave me some idea of what the 

 hares and foxes must feel when chased by my dogs. Eventu- 

 ally by dodging round a bush I managed to baffle my pursuers 

 and joined my two companions, who had also been chased, but 

 not so perseveringly as I was. We had utterly lost the points 

 of the compass, and in wandering about to find our road we 

 came upon the ponies again, but fortunately saw them without 

 their having seen us, and escaped in safety. 



