302 The Hunting Grounds 



I forbade any of our people to go near the pool, 

 on the side frequented by the jungle animals, but 

 made them draw what water they required in leathern 

 buckets from the rocks, fearing lest their footsteps 

 might betray our presence. 



^Our work being completed, we had a refreshing 

 bath and adjourned to the hut, where we saw the 

 stores distributed, so that each man received his 

 allowance of meat, rice, curry-stuff, " ghee " (clarified 

 butter), and tobacco. 



Having dined, we inspected the arrangements that 

 had been made for the comfortable housing of our 

 people and baggage-animals, and then returned to 

 the ambuscade ; Chineah, ISTaga, and Googooloo 

 accompanying us, to keep a look-out for game, as 

 we ourselves felt too fatigued with our day's fag to 

 depend much on our own watchfulness. 



As a light air was blowing from us across the 

 water, and we were perfectly concealed from view, 

 some ten feet above the level of the ground, there was 

 no danger of the scent of tobacco being " winded" 

 from the jungle, so we lighted our cheroots (a most 

 unorthodox proceeding when lying in ambuscade for 

 large game) and amused ourselves with observing 

 the different species of animal-life that frequented 

 that lonely spot. 



The margin of the lake was visited from time to 

 time by different kinds of aquatic birds and waterfowl, 



