THE HIGHEE NARBADl 293 



on to the tree. Two or three prods lie made at him with 

 his weapon failed to reach him ; and he was just about to 

 leap into the water when the greyhoimd, encouraged by our 

 arrival, made a fierce leap at the stag, falling short by 

 about a yard of her intended mark. Instantly the deer 

 bounded forward, and with Ids fore-feet struck the hound 

 under water; but in so doing he forgot his fence, and 

 exposed his flank within striking distance of his human foe. 

 The spear was buried twice in his side, and the dark water 

 was streaked with crimson as the blood poured from the 

 wounds. The poor brute now tries to struggle to the shore, 

 but in vain ; the dogs are upon him in a body, and their 

 united weight bears him down ; a few more spear-thrusts, 

 and the gallant stag is bubbhng out his hfe imder watei;. 



The distance run must have been about four miles, but 

 I had ridden probably double that distance. The dogs 

 were a good deal done up, as the heat was by this time 

 tremendous ; but a swim in the river, and half an hour in 

 the cool shade made them all right again. These Gondi dogs 

 must have wonderful noses to follow deer by scent over 

 the burning ground at full speed, as they are said to do. 

 They had not much trouble on this occasion, as the grey- 

 hoimd bitch had never lost sight of the stag to the finish, 

 and cut out the work for the others. 



At other times I have had excellent sport with the fine 

 breed of dogs possessed by the Banjara carriers referred 

 to in a former chapter. If the wild dog were available to 

 breed from, a stiU better hound for sambar-hunting might 

 probably be obtained. With more regular organisation, 

 better dogs, and more sportsmen, sambar-hunting in this 

 country might give admirable sport. The best breed, if 

 the wild dog is, as is probable, unavailable, would be the 

 cross between the Scotch deerhound and the Banjara dog, 

 the former being the mother. Pups of a Bankara bitch 

 almost invariably grow up with " vernacular " habits, and 

 a hatred of Europeans. A real specimen of the Banjara 

 should however be selected, and this is not easy, the 

 breed having got much mixed with the common village 

 pariah dog. The true Banjara is a fine, upstanding hound, 

 of about twenty-eight inches high, generally black mottled 

 with gray or blue, with a rough but silky coat, a high- 



