338 The Hunting Grounds 



stately fellow, nineteen hands at the shoulder, and 

 twenty and an inch extreme height. I wonder what 

 the folks at Smithfield would think of him." 



" I wish we had the little stock we have bagged 

 this morning, Ned, in that neighbourhood," I 

 answered; "they would be worth a twelvemonth's 

 pay and allowances to us, and as a contrast we might 

 also exhibit at the same time a 'Yak,' for the smallest 

 as well as the largest of the genus Bos are to be 

 found in Hindostan. The bison being over twenty 

 hands and the yak not exceeding nine. But, Ned, 

 we have yet a good trudge before we reach the head 

 of the Fall, and I do not think we shall have more 

 than four or five hours' daylight, so we had better set 

 the people to cut thorns and bamboo-stakes at once 

 to cover the animals, so as to scare away the jackals, 

 and then make the best of our way." 



" All right," replied he ; " we'll blow a cloud 

 whilst they are at work, for it would be a pity to 

 have the skins spoiled, they would cover us such a 

 famous basket-boat to float down to the coast in, by 

 the Bowani and Cauvery ;" which latter flows into 

 the sea near Tranquebar, passing through the towns 

 of Trichinopoly, Tanjore, and Combaconum en route. 



After having cut out the tongues, which we generally 

 salted, and packed up a few marrow-bones, we super- 

 intended the "bushing" of the game, and shoulder- 

 ing our rifles again made a start. We followed a 



