194 THE HUNTING GEOUNDS 



which the game had been marked. It was a glori- 

 ous morning, and we were all in the best of spirits. 

 As we rode along, accompanied by the gang and 

 the greater part of our followers, who were to act 

 as beaters, every now and then we put up coveys of 

 quail, partridge, or rock-pigeon, and once or twice 

 we caught sight of troops of antelope and spotted- 

 deer bounding through the more open jungle. After 

 a cursory survey of the country, which was anything 

 but fair riding-ground, being covered with low scrub 

 jungle and intersected with innumerable nullahs and 

 gullies, we took our post some little distance from 

 each other, whilst our people extended themselves 

 in a large semicircle, and advanced slowly, shouting 

 and beating tom-toms. In the course of a few min- 

 utes a tremendous yell informed us that the game 

 was afoot, a crashing of underwood was heard, and 

 a herd of nine nOghau, consisting of two bulls and 

 seven cows, broke into the plain. 



We immediately laid the dogs into them, and, 

 after a smart burst of about a mile, two of the hin- 

 dermost cows were brought to a stand-still, Hassan 

 and Slogee pursuing one, whilst Bran and Ali fast- 

 ened on the other ; the greyhounds yelping and giv- 

 ing tongue, but not having the pluck to lay hold. 



Leaving the fallen to the care of D , who, being 



but indifferently mounted, was pounding along in 



the rear, B and I each selected a bull, and 



after sundry purls and divers charges, in which we 

 were often the pursued, both of us managed to 



