116 INDIAN BIG GAME 



That the shot took effect somewhere was evident 

 from the loud smack of the bullet as it came in 

 contact. The bison swerved round, and I fired 

 the left into the waving grass, which completely 

 hid the brute from view. That he entered a 

 narrow neck of jungle was plain from the breaking 

 of undergrowth, so snatching a long-range -370 

 I awaited his appearance in the open on the other 

 side, trusting to getting in a right and left. 



As he did not show up and I saw the two men 

 I had left behind coming towards me, from a 

 point where they commanded a view of any other 

 egress, I awaited their approach, when they too 

 said he had not left the jungle. By this time it 

 was so dark that to find our way home was bad 

 enough : as to thinking of following up a wounded 

 bison, that was out of the question. 



Next morning I made an early start before 

 sunrise, as the distance was considerable. There 

 was no difficulty in finding the spot where the 

 bison had been, from the trampled grass, and the 

 tracks were equally plain. He had lain down 

 soon after entering cover, and during the night 

 had been in two other places, the last one showing 

 he had just moved off at daybreak, the form 

 being still warm. It puzzled me that there was 

 no sign of blood, and although I know Canarese 

 fluently and Tamil fairly well, I could not make 

 the men, who were jungle Kurjas, and who spoke 

 Malialum, understand the two words I used for 

 blood ; but at last, noticing I had scratched my 

 hand, I pointed to the blood, signing there was 

 none on the tracks. They caught on at once, 

 saying " seru " (blood), and explained that the 



