CHASED BV HTT-L PONIES. 
walked up the bank and stood staring at him for some time, 
within fifteen yards. Watson very wisely refrained from 
firing, although his shikarie urged him to do so ; at last to his 
great relief the tiger walked quietly away, and after going a 
few paces broke into a trot and disappeared amongst the 
bamboos. 
We visited the forest again in June, on a short trip of ten 
days, but the monsoon set in and spoilt our sport, or more 
correctly the sport was not up to our anticipations. We had 
rather an exciting incident on our way home. The natives 
turn their ponies loose on the outskirts of the forest during 
the monsoon, for grazing ; these " tats " as they are called, are 
half wild, and many of them the most vicious brutes you can 
imagine ; we suddenly found ourselves in the midst of a drove 
of them, and the moment they saw us they came charging 
down on us with loud neighs ; there was nothing for it but to 
bolt. Two ponies came after me, and it was as much as I 
could do to keep out of their clutches ; a bite in the thigh 
from one of these brutes would be no joke. As I doubled 
and turned from them I could not help thinking of the poor 
hares and foxes I was so fond of coursing, and the two open- 
mouthed ponies on my flanks gave me some idea of what the 
hares and foxes must feel when chased by my dogs. Eventu- 
ally by dodging round a bush I managed to bafBe my pursuers 
and joined my two companions, who had also been chased, but 
not so perseveringly as I was. We had utterly lost the points 
of the compass, and in wandering about to find our road we 
came upon the ponies again, but fortunately saw them without 
their having seen us, and escaped in safety. 
