204 The Hunting Grounds 



On rejoining the gang we found that D had 



despatched the two cows seized by the dogs, and 

 wounded a third with his rifle, which latter the dogs 

 were still chasing. We accordingly loosened the 

 saddles of our nags, and reclined under a tree whilst 

 our syces rubbed them down ; and after some time 



D returned, having killed the third cow, when, 



as the sun was extremely powerful, we remounted 

 and made the best of our way to the tents, leaving 

 the gang to break up the deer and bring in the skins. 

 The flesh of the nilghau somewhat resembles venison, 

 but is coarser; the hump, however, when salted and 

 spiced is not to be despised, and the marrow is one 

 of the greatest delicacies to be had in India. 



In the evening, just as we were going to sit down to 

 dinner, one of our people, who had been bathing in 

 the stream a short distance below our camp, came 

 running in with the information that he had seen 

 two bears drinking, close to. We immediately sallied 



forth in pursuit, and B had the luck to fall 



in with them, killing one outright with the first shot, 

 and disabling the other, which Chineah despatched. 

 After this little episode we dined, and sat round the 

 camp-fire discussing the events of the day until a. late 

 hour, when we turned in highly satisfied with our 

 sport, for slaying a bull-nilghau single-handed with 

 the spear is not an every day occurrence even in an 

 Indian sportsman's career. 



