THE MAHADEO HILLS 97 



Six fingers deep is the rule for these weapons, and it is 

 of no avail to point out the superior strength of our 

 powder. They will have six fingers of Hall's No. 2, 

 whatever the consequence. As they put generally two 

 bullets, a leaden and an iron one, on the top of this charge, 

 and wad with a handful of dry leaves, the result often is 

 the bursting of the barrel, and always considerable con- 

 tusion of the user's shoulder. 



This was to be a silent beat ; that is, the people were to 

 advance without noise, beyond the rapping of their axes 

 against the trees, as there was another dense cover lower 

 down which usually held bison, and sometimes a tiger, 

 and which was to be beaten also in the afternoon. I had 

 sat an hour at least behind the screen of leaves that had 

 been put up for me when the first sign of the beat appeared, 

 and for another half -hour nothing was heard but the occa- 

 sional knock of an axe-handle on a tree. Presently a 

 shot rang from the extreme flank of the line of guns, then 

 another, and a clatter of hoofs inside showed that a herd 

 of something had been repulsed in an attempt to escape. 

 As the beat advanced more shots were heard on either side, 

 and the galloping about of the imprisoned animals, now 

 and then met by a shout from behind when they attempted 

 to break back, became productive of considerable excite- 

 ment on my part. At last a rush of animals advanced 

 down the side of the stream where I was posted, and eight 

 or ten sambar clattered past within half a stone's throw. 

 I had just fired both barrels of my rifle at a couple of the 

 stags, dropping one of them in his tracks, and had advanced 

 a few paces towards it, when I heard a shot on my im- 

 mediate right, and a fine bull bison, with two cows and a 

 small calf, trotted past almost in the same line as the 

 sambar had taken. Those were not the days of breech- 

 loaders, and though I had another rifle it was a little 

 behind, leaning against the tree, and before I could get 

 hold of it nothing but the sterns of the " beeves " (as a 

 friend used to call them were to be seen. When I got 

 it I favoured the bull with both barrels d posteriori, but 

 there was no result. The young Thakiir, who occupied 

 the post on my right, had been more successful ; and when 



