202 The Hunting Grounds 



encampment. After dinner we superintended the 

 pegging down of the skins, and retired early to rest, 

 as the Mulchers had tracked up the herd of nilghau, 

 and we determined if possible to drive them into the 

 more open country on the morrow, and ride them 

 down with our boar-spears. 



I sounded the "reveille" through the camp an 

 hour before dawn, and after having fortified the 

 " inner man " and partaken of a " stirrup cup," we 

 lighted our cheroots, mounted our nags, and under 

 the guidance of the Mulchers set out for the cover in 

 which the game had been marked. It was a glorious 

 morning, and we were all in the best of spirits. As 

 we rode along, accompanied by the gang and the 

 greater part of our followers, who were to act as 

 beaters, every now and then we put up coveys of 

 quail, partridge, or rock-pigeon, and once or twice 

 we caught sight of troops of antelope and spotted- 

 deer bounding through the more open jungle. After 

 a cursory survey of the country, which was anything 

 but fair riding-ground, being covered with low scrub 

 jungle and intersected with innumerable nullahs and 

 gullies, we took our post some little distance from 

 each other, whilst our people extended themselves in 

 a large semicircle, and advanced slowly, shouting and 

 beating tom-toms. In the course of a few minutes 

 a tremendous yell informed us that the game was 

 afoot, a crashing of underwood was heard, and a herd 



