224 IN THE INDIAN JUNGLE. 



four dogs in close pursuit. When we got to the 

 banks we saw the sambhur in deep water with a 

 dog hanging on to each ear, and two hanging on to 

 his tail. We soon made out that the object of the 

 dogs was to keep the brute in deep water, for they 

 pulled with all their strength whenever he attempted 

 to swim in the direction of a sand-bank in the 

 river, as they probably knew that if he got into 

 shallow water he would be more than a match for 

 them, since he would be able to use his feet and 

 antlers when the water would still be too deep 

 for them to escape his attack. Now and again one 

 of the dogs at his tail would dive down and attack 

 his groin, when the sambhur would throw up his 

 haunches to avoid his antagonist ; the dogs at 

 the ears would seize this moment to drag his head 

 under water and keep it there till he was nearly 

 suffocated. The dogs were in much better wind, 

 as they had done little or no chasing, while the 

 stag was nearly done with the long coursing he 

 had undergone from point to point. After three 

 or four unsuccessful attempts to drown the poor 

 brute, his efforts to shake off his foes becoming 

 weaker and weaker, he was at length overcome 

 and kept under so long that when the dogs re- 

 appeared at the surface and actually towed him 

 by the ears till near the sand-bank, he made no 

 movement and we knew he was dead. They now 

 took him by the tail and drew the body partly 

 out of the water and began feasting on his groin, 

 which we saw was dreadfully lacerated by their 

 attacks when in the water. My men were now 



