CHAP. VII THE MEERUT TENT CLUB 97 



The scene is Bussundpur Bagh, one of our few 

 covers in the Kadir. There are nine spears out. 

 Coohes have been collecting since midnight with 

 the help of a full moon, and we start beating as 

 dawn breaks. 



The bagh is a fine jungle four hundred yards long 

 and two hundred yards wide. Everywhere are 

 great trees with dense undergrowth at foot of 

 thorns and hussoonta beloved of tiger. In the heart 

 of it stand some old pillars and carvings. Here, 



Where some ancient temple in solitude decays, 



is a stronghold of pig and panther. The bagh 

 stands on a little rise sloping gradually to an en- 

 circling nullah, whence stretches a mile of turf to 

 the main pig jungle of jhow and grass. 



Two heats are generally on the nullah, and a 

 third on a knoll, a continuation of the bagh itself. 

 From the nullah it is good to look over the quiet 

 waters of the stream and the green slope up to 

 the dark foliage of the bagh with the snowy moun- 

 tains in the distance. 



I am with P and S, both good men and well 

 mounted. We have drawn our post on the knoll. 

 Pig for us must either run along the uplands on 

 our side, or cross the nullah. If they are in our 

 territory we will also cross and hunt them over 

 the turf. We command the plain below us, but in 

 the dim haze of dawn can see little save the dust 

 of the village cattle as they go to graze. 



Gradually the din of the beat grows stronger. 

 We can hear the harsh cry of the peacock, and see 

 jackals sneak away. Presently, far away we see the 

 farthest heat riding. A pig has swum the nullah, 

 and we can just distinguish him with Lochinvar 



