PLAN OF THE BEAT. 27 



sportsmen determined to judge for themselves of 

 its feasibility, as this could easily be managed. On 

 this announcement the beaters were ordered to 

 betake themselves silently, and by circuitous paths, 

 to the further extremity of the patch of jungle, while 

 the hunters, their gun carriers, and Rugonauth, pro- 

 ceeded to inspect the position. 



This was found to be in the bend of the river, 

 which, here widening, may have been some hundred- 

 and-fifty yards from bank to bank. But of this, 

 only a very small portion was actually occupied by 

 the channel of the stream. About twenty yards 

 across, it swept under one bank, the bend of which 

 it followed. The space between the water and the 

 further bank was thickly grown with jow in patches 

 of irregular density, with a few openings. Boulders 

 of rock peeped here and there above the cover, and 

 a few stunted dak trees and corinda bushes also 

 broke the monotonous colour of the jow. 



Cover of this description prevailed more or less 

 in many portions of the river's bed, or what had 

 probably once been such ; but the strip in this part 

 did not exceed three or four hundred yards in 

 length. 



Having satisfied themselves by personal inspection 

 of the fitness of the shikarees' proposed plan of 

 proceedings, the hunters intimated their intention 



