Shikari Kennels

[Madox Valdivia]

Thesedogs are trained by native shikaries (hunters, or sportsmen) to other kinds of sport. Once when duck shooting in Mysore country, I was seated on a hillock watching a flight of ducks on a sheet of water, when I saw a performance that surprised me. In a hole dug in the ground about twenty yards from the brink of the water was seated a shikari, well concealed from the birds. He had with him his old gun and red Pariah dog. His object was to attract the birds to within shooting distance. To accomplish this, every now and then, at fairly regulated intervals, he threw a lump of a thick kind of chuppatie (unleavened bread) they eat in these parts, down to the margin of the water. The red dog would then jump out of the hole, run to the chuppatie, eat it, and return at once to his master. This was repeated until the attention of the ducks was attracted and it was continued, the flock swam gently on in the direction of the dog in that curious manner in which many birds will follow, and mob their natural enemy. At length coming well within range, bang went the old musket, and the shikari emerged from his pit to gather in the slain.

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