THE 



HUNTING GROUNDS 



OP THE 



OLD WORLD. 



PAET L-INDIA, 

 Section 1. Tlie Deccan. 



CHAPTER I. 



HYDRABAD. MY FIRST DAY'S DEER STALKING. 



Leave of absence obtained. My Mentor. Departure. Ab- 

 dulla-ben-Ali, the Killadar. A Banian. The hill-fort of 

 Bhoonghir. Old cannon. Native hospitality. Visions of 

 deer. The start Plenty of " slots " but no deer. The 

 Sambur described. His habits. A deer-stalker's qualifica- 

 tions. Hints. The trail. Walter's companion. Tracking. 

 The sambur's instinct. The bark of a buck elk. The 

 game in view. An anxious moment. My first stag. Two 

 harts die, a third hard hit. The chase. Ponto brings him 

 to bay. A good shot. Return to camp. 



IN the year 184 I was a jolly sub. in the old 

 th regiment, then forming part of the Hy- 

 drabad subsidiary force, and having got over the 

 early troubles of my griffinage (i. e., the goose 



