180 The Hunting Grounds 



previous, and that at last, after some trouble, it had 

 been tracked (the evening before) by some of the 

 villagers to a cave, half way up the hill, and large 

 stones had been placed at the entrance, so as to 

 prevent its coming out. 



After breakfast we began to ascend the hill, B 



and D - on foot, armed with rifles, and I mounted 

 on my favourite little nag " Gooty," with a boar-spear 

 and my famous dogs "All " and " Hassan," which 

 were half Poligar, half bloodhound. We soon came 

 to the entrance of the cave, which was about four feet 

 in diameter, and, after a fruitless examination for 

 pugs and trails, some of the villagers who were with 

 us pulled down the stones built up at the mouth, 



and D , B , and a massauljee with a couple 



of lighted torches entered, but were almost im- 

 mediately obliged to return on account of the foul 

 air and stench within. We then placed a bundle of 

 straw inside, and set fire to it, hoping to drive the 

 brute out with the smoke, but no good result was 

 obtained, although B- thought he heard a moan- 

 ing kind of noise inside. We also fired off several 

 rockets and crackers, which had the effect of dis- 

 lodging some of the inhabitants, for hundreds of 

 curious little four-eared bats came out. 



Finding that none of these annoyances would bring 

 out the cheeta, I sent in my two dogs, and imme- 

 diately knew that game was a-foot, as AH gave 



