I sat down by accident on the animal’s tail:—O-o-o-wh, growled the cheetā. I did not wait for another growl, but released his tail instantly. The bullock hackery was driven into the midst of the herd. The bandage was removed from the eyes of the cheetā, and the cord from his body: he dropped from the cart and bounded, with the most surprising bounds, towards an immense black buck, seized him by the throat, flung him on the ground, and held him there. The keepers went up, they cut the buck’s throat, and then they cut off the haunch of the hind leg, and, dipping a wooden spoon into the cavity, offered it full of blood to the cheetā. Nothing but this would have induced the cheetā to quit the throat of the buck. He followed the men to the cart, jumped upon it, drank the blood, and the men then put his bandage over his eyes. The haunch was put into the back of the cart, the reward for the animal when the hunting was over. The herd had passed on; we followed, taking care the wind did not betray our approach. The cheetā was leaning against me in the hackery, and we proceeded very sociably. Another herd of antelopes went bounding near us, the cheetā’s eyes were unbound again, and the rope removed from his loins; a fine buck passed, we expected he would instantly pursue it as usual, but the animal turned sulky, and instead of dropping down from the hackery, he put both his fore-paws on my lap and stood there two or three seconds with his face and whiskers touching my cheek. O-o-o-wh—O-o-o-wh, growled the cheetā!—my heart beat faster, but I sat perfectly quiet, as you may well imagine, whilst I thought to myself, “If he seize my throat, he will never leave it until they cut off my hind quarter, and give him a bowl of blood!” His paws were as light on my lap as those of a cat. How long the few seconds appeared whilst I eyed him askance! Nor was I slightly glad when the cheetā dropped to the ground, where he crouched down sulkily and would not hunt. He was a very fine-tempered animal, but they are all uncertain. I did not like his being quite so near when he was unfastened and sulky.
The next time I took care to get off the cart before the creature was freed from restraint. It is painful to witness a cheetā hunt, the beautiful antelope has so little chance of escape.
During the day, we killed three fine antelopes; the horns of one of them, remarkably large, with five turns on them, I brought to England. We rested under some trees by a well to partake of tiffin, when one of the party observed, “This wood and well are remarkable. Heera Sing, the father of Petumber, was a Thug, and made by Thuggee a large fortune. In this plantation and by the side of this very well his people used to wait for travellers, lure them to the shade and water to refresh themselves, strangle them, and cast their bodies into the well.
“After having amassed a fortune, Heera Sing repented, and gave orders that life should not be taken on his estate. He would not allow the antelopes to be killed; and his son having followed his example, accounts for the large herds of antelopes we have found here: it is an excellent preserve.” We then returned home; I was almost dead with the heat, having been out in such a powerful sun during a drive of about thirty miles.
Mulka Begam sometimes goes out cheetā hunting in a native carriage, drawn by two magnificent bullocks, adorned with crimson housings, and their horns covered with plates of gold.
In this manner the princess can behold the sport, and enter into the amusement, while she is completely secluded from the profane eye of man.
CHAPTER XXXV.
FATHĪPOOR SICRI AND COLONEL GARDNER.
Pilgrimage of Akbar Shāh to Fathīpoor Sicri—Shaikh Selīm Cheestie—The Jodh Baā’ī—Birth of Selim—The Tomb of the Saint—The Gateway—A Tradition—The Temple of Magic—The Zenāna—The Pachīsī Board—The Mint—Akbārābādee Rupees and Gold Mohurs—The Elephant Minār—A Child destroyed by a Wolf—Tomb of the Jodh Bā’ī—Agra built by Akbar—Sketches of remarkable Living Characters in India—Legality of a Marriage between a Christian and one of the Faithful—Colonel Gardner’s Letter—Letter of Colonel Tod—Insult offered by Holkar—Colonel Gardner’s Marriage—Tomb of Colonel Hessing—Cure of Influenza within the Four Walls—Death in a Steam-Bath.