280 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



a "band," that tad come from some distance to assist 

 at the marriage of a wealthy merchant in the village, and 

 we were, consequently, powerful in instrumental music. 

 Fancy drums, great and small, " ear-piercing fifes," " rum- 

 toolahs " of formidable dimensions (a hideous copper wind 

 instrument, indescribable in simple Enghsh, but which I 

 fancy must be identical with the " cholera horn " of south- 

 ern India), mingled with a tempest of watchmen's rattles 

 (each of fifty landrail power), and abundantly supplemented 

 by vocal abuse of the tigers' ancestors to the tenth genera- 

 tion, delivered in the loudest key of native Billingsgate, 

 and you have a faint idea of the row ! 



As they approached, it of course got more and more 

 exciting, and soon the various inhabitants of the dewur 

 began to make their appearance» First came a peacock 

 and two hens, pattering over the fallen leaves. Sharper 

 in eyesight than any other denizen of the forest, they 

 soon observed me, and, rising in a panic, sailed off with 

 their beautifully steady flight towards the river, the 

 gorgeous plumage of the cock flashing in the sun — ^six 

 feet of living gold and purple ! 



Another rustle, and a herd of spotted deer came trotting 

 over a little eminence ahead, led by a well-antlered buck, 

 with two more good ones bringing up the rear. Entirely 

 taken up by the noise of the beaters, they never observed 

 me, and, passing within fifteen paces of my elephant, 

 disappeared in the jungle. I could have shot any one, or 

 perhaps two, of the bucks, but seeing what was more 

 interesting at the time, held my hand. This was a troop 

 of baboons — ^hoary-bearded old fellows, and matrons with 

 their young ones in their arms — ^who were perched on the 

 trees ahead, and had already commenced their angry 

 warnings that the tigers were there. 



Then came the glorious moment of excitement — ample 

 reward for days of bootless toil. The tigress came sneaking 

 along amongst the bushes that fringed the nala, and, 

 halting about sixty paces off, turned round her head for a 

 moment towards the beaters. Steady now ! the bottom 

 of the neck is exposed, and the sight of the big rifle bears 

 fuU upon the proper spot. Bang ! and with a gurghng 



