LOOKING FOE SAMBEB. 53 



1 shall follow Norinan, to whom it fell to take the 

 central beat, which of course was that the nearest to 

 and opposite the encampment. 



A walk of a mile or so brought him to the foot 

 of the first range of hills, and his conductor assured 

 him that samber would certainly be on the feed 

 somewhere among the dry yellow grass, which in 

 patches studded the table-land on the top. 



Girding their loins for the ascent, Norman and 

 his two attendants accordingly made their way by a 

 meandering track, originally worn from the thicket 

 by wild animals themselves, and developed by the 

 wood or grass-cutters of the village, in the pursuit of 

 their avocations, into a rough path. 



As they approached the top, they cautiously 

 advanced, sheltered by the jungle, hoping to find 

 some deer on the feed in the open pastures above. 

 But none were to be seen. The village shikaree, 

 however, who seemed well up to his work, pointed 

 to some freshly-broken twigs and indented grass ; 

 and further on, a few hoof-prints showed that a herd 

 of samber had passed ; and, as the man asserted, 

 but very recently. 



" They cannot be very far off, Sahib," he said in a 

 whisper. "There is a favourite feeding-ground a 

 little to our right-hand ; if it please the Sahib, I will 

 go and see if there are any there." 



