438 THE EASTEEN HUNTERS. 



detention for that purpose rendered it late before 

 they started. This they managed to do about an 

 hour after sunrise. 



The river, on which the neighbouring village 

 stood, had come down heavily during the night, but 

 had already commenced to run out, and, by the 

 time the sportsmen found it was necessary to cross 

 it by a ford a mile or two lower down, had greatly 

 receded. 



The hunters discovered, en route, that a rather 

 remarkable circumstance had taken place, not only 

 on the first river, but on another over which the 

 road led them some distance further on. Over the 

 shingle, and sand, and mud banks, which the water 

 had temporarily covered, were scattered vast num- 

 bers of dead fish. They were not all small. Many 

 were of a fair average size, none, however, being very 

 large. This was not the case only in one particular 

 spot, but as far as the hunters could see, all along 

 the river's course. They were puzzled to account 

 for it, as the water could hardly have receded with 

 such rapidity as to leave so great a number of good- 

 sized fish high and dry, many being now far from 

 the water's edge. The surface supply of water from 

 the hills being derived from mere watercourses 

 running out almost as soon as the rain ceased, and 

 not from springs, had, it is true, so quickly failed, as 



