120 INDIAN BIG GAME 



gloom of this virgin jungle, when I heard shouts 

 and shrieks ahead of me, followed directly by 

 the loud tread of a large animal. 



One or two Moplas having been posted in 

 trees on the outskirts, so as to turn him towards 

 me, commenced shouting too. Next moment my 

 bull pulled up within seventeen yards of me, and 

 stood looking towards where the Moplas were, 

 little realizing his aggressor was so near. 



On firing the right with my 12 -bore, he did 

 not flinch or budge, although the bullet entered 

 in front of the left shoulder ; but on getting 

 the second barrel, he commenced to reel, and 

 came down with a crash, and the Moplas were 

 on him like fiends. 



He was the toughest bison I have ever had to 

 do with, as, besides the number of shots he had 

 had from me, I found three other bullets embedded 

 in different parts of his body ; one was no doubt 

 from a native gun, but the other two were nickel 

 from a -450 Express. 



The moment I saw the head I knew it had 

 beaten all my previous bags. It was enormous ! 

 the horns measuring : 



From tip to tip, round outer edge and 



across forehead . . . 6 ft. 9| in. 



Across the sweep . . . . 3 ,, 6 ,, 



Between the tips . . . . 2 ,, 5| ,, 



Circumference at base of horn . . 1 „ 10 ,, 



The skull and horns are now in Capetown. 

 Strange to say, my first bullet had gone through 

 the lobe of his ear, entering side of neck and 

 penetrating inside his shoulder blade. 



