210 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



plodding along for some miles more, we came to a pathway 

 by which we thought the ponies must pass ; and there we 

 sat down completely exhausted in the scanty shade of a 

 wild fig-tree. A Mhowa grew close by, and some of its 

 luscious flowers tempted us to try if they would assuage 

 our raging thirst. Bah ! never was anything more horrible 

 than the clammy taste and fetid odour of that sickening 

 product. Our mouths were now glued up as well as 

 parched, and when at last the people came we could only 

 make signs for the water, and rephed not at all to the 

 Skunk when he assured us that a big bear had been 

 besieging him and the ponies on the road for ever so long 

 not very far from where we were. After a draught that 

 no one could appreciate unless he has hunted the " bound- 

 ing bison " through an April day in the trap hiUs of Nimar, 

 we jumped on the welcome ponies and galloped up the 

 valley to our tent. Revived by breakfast and cold claret 

 cup, we spent the rest of the day in skinning and pre- 

 serving the head of the bison we had shot. A fine solemn 

 look have the features of a dead bull. The horns alone 

 are nothing of a trophy compared to the complete head, 

 which should if possible be saved entire. 



Next morning our Bheels were out early, and we our- 

 selves made for the hiU of Ali-Bal-Kot, or the " High 

 Exalted Fort," which being translated means the ruinous 

 Httle mud keep of one of these pensioned Bheel chiefs. 

 They are all " Rajas " of course, and maintain standing 

 armies of one or two ragamuffins apiece. We always had 

 the " king " of the territory we were in in our camp, and 

 it was really disappointing to find how httle His Majesty 

 differed from any other of these debauched-looking, opium- 

 eating, and utterly ignorant and brutal Mahomedan Bheels. 

 Our shikari and scouts — Shrimp, Skunk, and Co. — were 

 ordinary unconverted Bheels, and far superior in every 

 respect to the converts, who, however, looked down upon 

 them as an unregenerate lot. 



We had not proceeded far towards the foot of the hiUs 

 when a Bheel on a hiU-top waving a cloth caught ouj 

 sight; and on going up we saw about five or six stag 

 sambar slowly wending their way along the far side of a 



