324 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



Jungle: he is fiilly two inches higher than any we 

 have hitherto met with, and both you and I have 

 tumbled over a good few in our time too. What a 

 farce to compare the American buffalo with this 

 stately fellow, nineteen hands at the shoulder, and 

 twenty and an inch extreme height. I wonder what 

 the folks at Smithfield would think of him." 



" I wish we had the little stock we have bagged 

 this morning, Ned, in that neighbourhood," I 

 answered; "they would be worth a twelvemonth's 

 pay and allowances to us, and as a contrast we 

 might also exhibit at the same time a ' Yak,' — for 

 the smallest as well as the largest of the genus Bos 

 are to be found in Hindostan, — the bison being 

 over twenty hands and the yak not exceeding nine. 

 But, Ned, we have yet a good trudge before we 

 reach the head of the Fall, and I do not think we shall 

 have more than four or five hours' daylight, so we 

 had better set the people to cut thorns and bamboo- 

 stakes at once to cover the animals, so as to scare 

 away the jackals, and then make the best of our 

 way." 



" All right," replied he ; " we 'U blow a cloud 

 whilst they are at work, for it would be a pity to 

 have the skins spoiled, they would cover us such a 

 famous basket-boat to float down to the coast in, by 

 the Bowani and Cauvery ; " which latter flows into 

 the sea near Tranquebar, passing through the towns 

 of Trichinopoly, Tanjore, and Combaconum en route. 



After having cut out the tongues, which we gener- 



