20 THE HUNTING GROUNDS, ETC. 



and we had considerable difficulty in getting down 

 to drag it out, as the ravine was very steep and 

 full of precipices and huge rocks. At last we 

 managed to haul him high and dry on the bank, 

 and having gralloched and covered him over with 

 branches and stones, we set off for the spot where 

 we had left the Killadar some five or six hours be- 

 fore. Just awakened from sleep, he had no idea 

 that we had been away so long, and fancied we 

 were joking when we told him of our sport. 



He sent his people, guided by Ponto, to sling 

 the venison on poles and bring it in, and " there 

 was a sound of revelry by night" in his little for- 

 tress, for after sending a couple of haunches into 

 cantonment, we divided the rest among his fol- 

 lowers. I turned in that night very tired, and con- 

 siderably bruised with sundry falls, but delighted 

 with the success of my first day's deer-stalking. 



On the following morning the Killadar got us up 

 a beat in the ravine where a tiger had been seen 

 some days previously, but it proved " a blank ;" and 

 the day after, " our leave being up," we had to bid 

 adieu to our native friends and return to canton- 

 ment. 



