40 
LIVES OF THE MOGHUL EMPERORS. 
The cord is likewise slipped from its neck, and it 
stands at perfect liberty upon the platform, with its 
tail towards the driver. So soon as the animal per- 
ceives the deer, it bounds upon the plain, and with 
amazing speed darts onward instantly in pursuit, 
crouching if the herd stops, and springing forward as 
the affrighted fugitives resume their flight. The deer 
are usually so paralysed by their terrors, that the 
cheetah seldom fails to overtake them, and generally 
selects the fattest buck of the herd, upon which it 
springs, bringing it to the ground with great violence, 
and despatching it with extraordinary celerity. As 
soon as possible after it has secured its victim, the 
keeper goes up to it and replaces the hood upon its 
head, withdraws the carcass from its clutch, and pre- 
pares for a fresh start. The cheetah is frequently 
very sulky when deprived of its prey, and is at times 
reconciled with difficulty to being thus defrauded 
of the fruit of its exertions. The coaxing of the 
keeper, however, generally overcomes its reluctance to 
abandon its prize, and thus during a day’s coursing 
a great number of deer are secured by half a dozen 
cheetahs. 
The harmony which had hitherto continued with 
scarcely any interruption between Amyr Hussyn and 
Timur was soon broken by the jealousy of the former, 
who aspired to the sovereignty of Transoxiana and 
Turkestan, both of which countries now acknowledged 
the supremacy of the latter ; nor were their differences 
adjusted until information was obtained that the 
Jetes were again advancing in prodigious force to 
invade the country under dispute. In order that no 
