THE HUNTING GROUNDS, ETC. 173 



some days previous, and that at last, after some 

 trouble, it had been tracked (the evening before) by 

 some of the villagers to a cave, half-way up the hill, 

 and large stones had been placed at the entrance, so 

 as to prevent its coming out. 



After breakfast we began to ascend the hill, B 



and D on foot, armed with rifles, and I mounted 



on my favourite little nag " Gooty," with a boar- 

 spear and my famous dogs "Ali" and "Hassan," 

 which were half Poligar, half bloodhound. We soon 

 came to the entrance of the cave, which was about 

 four feet in diameter, and, after a fruitless examin- 

 ation for pugs and trails, some of the villagers who 

 were with us pulled down the stones built up at the 



mouth, and D , B , and a massauljee with a 



couple of lighted torches entered, but were almost 

 immediately obliged to return on account of the foul 

 air and stench within. We then placed a bundle of 

 straw inside, and set fire to it, hoping to drive the 

 brute out with the smoke, but no good result was 

 obtained, although B thought he heard a moan- 

 ing kind of noise inside. We also fired off several 

 rockets and crackers, which had the effect of dis- 

 lodging some of the inhabitants, for hundreds of 

 curious little four-eared bats came out. 



Finding that none of these annoyances would 

 bring out the cheeta, I sent in my two dogs, and 

 immediately knew that game was a-foot, as Ali gave 

 tongue the moment he entered, and very shortly 

 afterwards dismal howls and stransre rumbling noises 



