Antlers 



owing to one's having the bad luck to run into a 

 family party of these interesting, perhaps, but to 

 many somewhat revolting, animals. 



I was on the prowl for sambhar or chitul one 

 evening in the Central Provinces, and the sun was 

 getting low on the horizon.' We had turned cainp- 

 wards and were tramping through a park-like 

 country, when suddenly we saw a herd of spotted 

 deer near a little mud nullah or drain, such as 

 are common in this part meandering through the 

 grassy lands. They were some 300 yards away, 

 and we were in doubt as to whether there was a 

 head worth shooting amongst them when the rays 

 of the setting sun caught and glinted on what 

 were evidently a pair of fine antlers on one of the 

 larger of the dark spots representing the herd, 

 whom I had thought was a doe. Yes ! there again, 

 as he lifted his head. A fine trophy he carried. 

 But even as we commenced to move forward, a 

 tremendous outcry uprose in the branches of a 

 patch of forest situated just beyond the nullah 

 and 20 yards or so from the chitul. 



It was a family party of monkeys who had just 

 caught sight of us. 



We dropped at once, and looking back saw 

 that by circumventing a small patch of tree 

 jungle to our right we might be able to approach 

 comparatively close to the deer without the 

 monkeys spotting us. This we proceeded to 

 attempt. We got round the forest and out at its 



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