52 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



some other hamit. Now they halt a moment, and look 

 round appealingly to the buck, and again with feigned 

 consternation start ofE at a gallop, every now and then 

 taking imaginary ten-barred gates in tlieir stride. At 

 last the buck, after remaining behind a decent time to 

 maintain his character for superior courage, follows them 

 at a pace that mocks the efforts of every animal on the 

 face of the earth but one — the hunting leopard. 



" Such was the invariable result of my best efforts 

 for upwards of a week, I would not risk a long shot, 

 as it might drive him for ever from that part of the 

 country. His favourite haunt was a wide grassy plain, 

 intersected here and there by dry watercourses, up which 

 I had many a weary crawl, ventre a terre. I soon found 

 out his usual feeding and drinking places ; and observed 

 that to reach the latter he almost daily crossed a deepish 

 dry nullah about the same place. This struck me as 

 affording the means of circumventing him, so I took up 

 my position in the nullah; but as luck would have it, 

 my buck took his water in some other direction for the 

 next two days. Many other herds of antelope constantly 

 passed within easy shot of where I was ensconced; but 

 not until I was almost giving up hope on the third day, 

 and was taking a last sweep of the plain with my 

 binocular, did the well-known form of the master buck 

 greet my vision, as he slowly wound his way with his 

 two inseparable companions towards the pool to which 

 he had watched so many of his species passing and 

 repassing in safety. 



" The wind was favourable, and the buck came steadily 

 on till he arrived within a long rifle shot of where I was 

 posted. Here he suddenly threw up his head, and, after 

 standing at gaze for a few moments, turned sharp to the 

 left and started off at a canter for a pass in the nullah, 

 about a quarter of a mile from where I was. I Imew 

 he could neither have seen nor smelt me, and was at a 

 Joss to account for his sudden panic till, on turning round 

 in disgust, there was the cause behind me, in the shape 

 of a small parcel of does, which had evidently been 

 returning from the water, but, having discovered my 



