

HUNTING WILD DOGS IN A DUG-OUT. 159 



The recent heavy rains had raised the water- 

 level twenty feet and the Koel was full from 

 bank to bank, a seething, swirling volume of 

 yellow liquid, dotted all over with floating masses 

 of foam. The river at this point is about 200 

 yards wide in mid-stream, and some 300 yards 

 further up two black objects could be plainly seen 

 among the masses of foam, breasting the current 

 and swimming vigorously up stream. 



The flood had prevented the ferrying over of 

 some score of carts on their way to Beru, so that 

 on the left bank were assembled all the carters and 

 their following. On the right bank were the villagers 

 of Somij, armed with bows, spears and matchlocks. 

 These two crowds lining the banks kept the animals 

 whatever they were from landing. A dug-out 

 was speedily launched, and two sturdy Jhoras 

 (fishermen) armed with paddles took their places 

 at bow and stern. For the information of the 

 uninitiated I may say that a dug-out is a tree 

 log of light wood, some twenty feet long and fifteen 

 inches in diameter. The ends are pointed like the 

 bows and stern of a canoe, and the trunk hollowed 

 out. To trust one's self in such an unstable craft, 

 even in still waters, requires a good deal of nerve, 

 as it is impossible to stand upright without danger 

 of overbalancing this primitive contrivance ; but 

 to face it in a rough, boisterous stream in flood 

 required the excitement of the chase after a brace 

 of tigers to enable one to screw up one's courage 

 to the sticking point and venture forth. 



The dug-out speeded on its way, propelled by 



