88 The Hunting Grounds 



Constructing a litter with the branches of trees 

 was the work of a few minutes, and we sent him to 

 the village carried by coolies. Although he must 

 have suffered a good deal of pain, he kept up his 

 spirits in a remarkable manner, and seemed quite 

 satisfied when he saw his antagonist brought in dead. 

 We halted by the side of the river, where we bathed 

 whilst the beaters were collecting the game, of which 

 the following is the list : Two tigers and two cubs, 

 three cheetahs and one cub, three bears and two cubs 

 (one taken alive), five elk, four spotted deer, four 

 pig (four small squeakers, taken alive), one porcu- 

 pine, and one bull-neilghau total, thirty-two head 

 of game. 



I then dispatched the gang to cut some stout poles, 

 which, being thrust through the back sinews of the 

 game, the coolies were enabled to carry it away slung 

 on their shoulders, after having disembowelled the 

 neilghau and deer. The total weight of our bag may 

 be fancied, as over two hundred stout coolies were 

 employed to carry it, and even then they went but 

 slowly, had to rest often, and were frequently relieved 

 by their comrades. 



My gang went in front with their bill-hooks and 

 axes, cutting down the branches so as to enable the 

 loaded coolies to pass, and as the jungle was thick in 

 some places our course was necessarily slow. 



As we approached the village of Botta Singarum 



