224 The Hunting Grounds 



hundred yards distant. We will now loose Hassan 

 and AH, and I '11 warrant you they will soon give a 

 good account of the quarry." I accordingly gave the 

 necessary orders to lay in the dogs, when just at the 

 moment I heard a crash in the jungle, and two young 

 bucks with velvety horns, and seven does, broke 

 cover, followed by an old she-bear. I brought down 

 one of the bucks, and three of the does fell before a 

 combined volley, whilst the bear received two or three 

 gentle reminders of our presence that did anything 

 but increase her stock of good humour, for she 

 growled most savagely, and made a serious charge at 



W and K , who could only give leg-bail, as 



their rifles were empty. Luckily the dogs caught 

 sight of her, and Hassan seized her by the hind-leg, 

 which brought her up, and gave Ali the oppor- 

 tunity of pinning her by the ear on the opposite side. 

 Both were immensely powerful dogs (a cross between 

 the blood-hound and poly gar), and poor Bruin stood 

 no chance of doing mischief, although she seemed most 

 maliciously inclined. As soon as I came up I called 

 off the dogs, and B gave her a coup de grace be- 

 hind the ear. The beaters and the Major's pack now 

 made their appearance ; and after the dogs had been 

 collected, I laid Ali and Hassan on the trail of the 

 stag that had been wounded by the Major. Large 

 drops of blood marked his course ; and as we were 

 following it up a loud deep bellow in a patch of high 



