300 The Hunting Grounds 



how lucky it is that you are with me, for had I been 

 alone, I should most assuredly have taken a header 

 into that clear part without ever dreaming that such 

 horrid brutes could be concealed in so lovely a spot." 



" I have often met with them in such places," said 

 I. " However, we can soon find out if there are any 

 trails or prints of their claws upon the sand, where 

 they are most likely to bask when the sun enters the 

 ravine at mid-day, and if we do not find any, we will 

 send in the dogs to make sure ; but until this has 

 been done I should advise you to confine your ablu- 

 tions to ' chatties' (earthern pots) of water on shore." 

 So, sending Chineah for the dogs, we clambered down 

 the rock and strolled by the sand along the edge of 

 the water. 



Here we saw the fresh pugs of two tigers, a cheetah, 

 and several bears, besides the old spoors of elephant 

 and bison, with innumerable slots of different kinds 

 of deer, including the " Sambur " or black Rusa deer, 

 commonly called the Indian elk (Rusa Aristoteles), 

 the " Chetel" or spotted-deer (Cervus Axis), and the 

 " Muntjac " or jungle-sheep (Cervus Muntjac) ; besides 

 the marks of a sounder of hog, a pack of jackals, pea- 

 cocks and jungle-fowl ; but I could not distinguish 

 any trail of alligators. 



It was evident that this was the place where most 

 of the wild animals of the surrounding jungle came to 

 slake their thirst, so I determined to build a moat, 



