84 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



having eaten dirt, and the brave and generous 

 gentlemen being satisfied with their day's sport, 

 plenty of buksheesh and inam (rewards and pre- 

 sents) would, as a matter of course, fall to the lot 

 of their well-wishing followers, whose mouths were 

 watering and stomachs panting with the thoughts 

 of how they would be filled by the sheep which 

 the well-known charitable and generously-minded 

 gentlemen would certainly distribute." The chorus, 

 being taken up by the whole party, was something 

 deafening. 



The game was laid down on the open space of 

 ground in front of the bungalow, and the ceremony 

 of breaking up was commenced by the oldest shek- 

 arry present burning the whiskers of the dead tiger, 

 whilst he sang a monotonous song, in which he 

 abused the whole race, and finished by spitting on 

 his face and right paw. 



The begum, who, it appears, was watching the 

 performance with great interest from the bungalow, 

 sent one of her followers to me with plenty of 

 salaam, and a request that I would send her a 

 tiger's heart and liver, with some of the blood, 

 for medicine : which I did, to her great satisfac- 

 tion. 



The game being now all broken up and cut into 

 pieces, a fine haunch of venison was sent to our 

 tents, and a young doe, which, when wounded, had 

 been properly " holloUed " by a Mussulman, (that is 

 to say, had its throat cut whilst the operator mut- 



