NATUEALIST IN INDIA. 191 



descending by the outskirts of the forest a herd of deer was ob- 

 served to emerge from the wood, gaze about for a few minutes, 

 then move leisurely down a hollow, where they were lost to 

 view. Following with great caution, we had scarcely dared 

 to peep over the intervening inequalities, when the herd was 

 discovered feeding in a little depression on the hiU-side. I 

 saw there was no time to be lost, as they were scattered, and 

 one buck was within twenty yards of me. Accordingly, singling 

 out the largest, I iired, when he rolled down dead. The others, 

 taken by surprise, and not knowing from whence the shot 

 came, rushed furiously towards me, led on by an old hind, in 

 whose chest the contents of my left barrel "found a billet ;" 

 staggering, she fell, and rolled down the steep, bumping from 

 rock to rock, until brought up by a jutting shelf' far down 

 among the long green bracken. There was no time for hesi- 

 tation ; so, seizing my spare rifle, I planted another bullet 

 behind the shoulder of a young hart, and as the remainder 

 were scampering up the hill-side the last ball was heard 

 to strike the largest with the unmistakeable " thud," and 

 soon the wounded animal became out-distanced by the other 

 two. "With all the satisfaction, and even pride, experienced 

 by the hunter on occasions like the above, I wiU candidly 

 assert that with an ardour and love for the chase equal to most 

 men, I have more than once experienced a sorrowful feeling 

 after the work of destruction was over, and I came to gaze on 

 the noble frame I had deprived of existence. There was no 

 time, however, on the above occasion for reflection, as already 

 the carrion crows and vultures were circling overhead, and 

 the shades of night approaching. Accordingly the carcases 

 were collected together after the shickarees in the most ap- 

 proved Mussulman fashion had cut their throats. Two men 

 were left to protect them during the night from bears and 



