THE BORI FOREST 313 



near the river, where low jungle grass grew, all yellow and 

 dry, when, as so often happens in Indian forests, I had a 

 surprise and experience quite new. Shikaris had often 

 spoken of the sone kutte (wild dogs), which hunt in packs 

 and drive every kind of game clean out of the jungle, 

 never leaving the doomed victims of their persevering 

 pursuit till death puts an end to the chase. I had never 

 come across a pack of wild dogs, though I had heard from 

 the natives of their presence both in the Himalayas and 

 in the plains, during an experience of eight or nine years, 

 and I had met no British officer who had actually seen 

 a pack himting. 



It was therefore a matter of great interest to see, from 

 the elephant which I was riding, a whole line of red dogs, 

 about the size of harriers, but with more the appearance 

 of wdre-haired, prick-eared terriers, regularly drawing the 

 covert in front of me. They have rufous-coloured backs 

 and hairy sterns held straight out like a fox, which are 

 easily seen just showing in the thick grass. They were 

 beautifully fanned out across the covert, and a few 

 watchers were stationed at its end, like whips, to tally the 

 game away. Occasionally one or two would sight some 

 animal, perhaps a small deer, and they would bound in 

 the air to view over the top of the feathery grass. They 

 got on the line of something, and ran it out at the end and 

 across the bed of the shallow river, disappearing into high 

 jungle at the other end ; but they ran quite silent, giving 

 no tongue. I followed on rapidly, but lost view of them 

 after they crossed the river. They were about forty in 

 number, and all alike, a hungry-looking, black-nosed, 

 active pack. 



My tent was pitched close to the river on the flat. Sit- 

 ting at night outside the tent by a pleasant fire, I heard 

 strange sounds in the jungle. First the belling of a 



