Jungle By-Ways in India 



the meeting-place we found about one hundred 

 villagers collected, but that was all. We required 

 some four hundred, and so I, as the griffin, was 

 told off to inspect the commissariat whilst our 

 senior interviewed the elders of the village as to 

 the cause of the delay. 



After the usual heated discussion and protesta- 

 tions had taken place, we sat down in the grateful 

 shade and made a good breakfast. By the end 

 a considerable portion of the stipulated number 

 of men had arrived, and having tossed for machans, 

 we took up our positions. I can remember now as 

 fresh as if it were yesterday, the feelings which 

 animated me as I climbed into No. 2 machan, 

 situated some 25 feet up in a small tree. I could 

 scarcely believe that at last I was to fulfil an 

 ambition of my boyhood and really occupy a 

 machan, and have the luck to shoot something 

 big. 



Having loaded up, I waited, quaking with 

 eagerness. A low hill clothed with scattered 

 scrub jungle and small trees faced me. Half- 

 way up, just in front of my position, a mass of 

 rocks and caves were situated. These I thought 

 might contain anything. Suddenly a distant 

 sound — the beat had commenced. The noise 

 grew louder and louder, and at last I spied some 

 tiny figures up against the skyline. They were 

 the beaters ! 



Down they came, springing from rock to rock 



386 • 



