THE BARA SING. 315 



to a ravine, the other side of which was a mountain 

 equally steep, but covered as thickly as possible with fir 

 and other trees from crest to base. Just as we reached 

 the top our ears were saluted by the welcome bellow of a 

 stag. I went a little further ahead, and then went down 

 the slope and heard two or three more bellowing lustily. 

 I had a good idea of the exact spot where these angry 

 challengers were, and longed to be at them, but the jun- 

 gle was said to be impracticable. One animal had evidently 

 shifted his quarters. Subhan now joined me ; and, mention- 

 ing what I had observed, I suggested a move towards the 

 neighbourhood of the moving stag. He was all for it, too. 

 We gained the spot that we desired, and were greeted 

 by lusty roars across a ravine, the voice issuing from the 

 fir trees, now and again repeated. So on, for a couple of 

 hours, when a gentle doe was spied amid the low bushes 

 in the ravine. How stealthily and gently she moved 

 about, her ears pricked, and restlessly reconnoitring all 

 around ! After a time she came a few yards up the slope, 

 and, having paused under a tree, again took to the bushes 

 and disappeared. Soon the stag's renewed bellowing be- 

 trayed hiTYi to be on the stir, seeking in agitation his nighty 

 mistress, and he was suddenly viewed high up on our side 

 the ravine, standing listening and looking for his lost mate. 

 A rapid consultation and withdrawing from sight ; and 

 we then crept crouching to make a detour, and ascending 

 the hill- side intercept our prey on a line it was thought 

 that he would take. All was now subdued excitement. 

 It was undoubtedly a bara sing of the largest size. "We 

 had some two hundred yards further to toil up, when sud- 

 denly a loud bellow resounded straight before us, proceed- 

 ing from behind a clump of bushes crowning a knoll on 

 our left. To drop and handle Whitworth was instanta- 

 neous. And hardly was I ready when Subhan whispered 



