forest. On the way we met a crowd of
Banturs with bundles of stakes and great coils of strong heavy netting.
Sending the coolies on ahead under charge of several headmen and peons,
we plunged into the gloom of the forest, leaving our ponies and grooms
outside. When we came to a likely-looking spot, the Banturs began
operations by fixing up the nets on the stakes and between trees, till
a line of strong net extended across the forest for several hundred
yards. We then went ahead, leaving the nets behind us, and each took up
his station about 200 yards in front. The men with the nets then hid
themselves behind trees, and crouched in the underwood. With our
kookries we cut down several branches, stuck them in the ground in
front, and ensconced ourselves in this artificial shelter. Behind us,
and between us and the nets, was a narrow cart track leading through
the forest, and the reason of our taking this position was given me by
Pat, who was an old hand at jungle shooting.

When deer are being driven, they are intensely suspicious, and of
course frightened. They know every spot in the jungle, and are
acquainted with all the paths, tracks, and open places in the forest.
When they are nearing an open glade, or a road, they slacken their
pace, and go slowly and warily forward, an old buck generally leading.
When he has carefully reconnoitred and examined the suspected place in
front, and found it clear to all appearance, they again put on the
pace, and clear the open ground at their greatest speed. The best
chance of a shot is when a path is in front of _them_ and behind _you_,
as then they are going slowly.

At first when I used to go out after them, I often got an open glade,
or road, in _front_ of me; but experience soon told me that Pat's plan
was the best. As this was a beat not so much for real sport, as to show
me how the villagers managed these affairs, we were all under Pat's
direction, and he could not have chosen better ground. I was on the
extreme left, behind a clump of young trees, with the sluggish muddy
stream on my left. Our Engineer to my right was about one hundred yards
off, and Pat himself on the extreme right, at about the same distance
from H. Behind us was the road, and in the rear the long line of nets,
with their concealed watchers. The nets are so set up on the stakes,
that when an animal bounds along and touches the net, it falls over
him, and ere he can extricate himself from its meshes, the vig