154 INDIAN BIG GAME chap. 



was about a hundred yards from me. I could 

 not see the animal, as it was down-stream and 

 behind me. The footsteps crossed and turned 

 up-stream along my bank; and presently a fine 

 sambhur came absolutely under my tree, and I 

 shot him with the 12-bore and a patent bullet 

 in the shoulder. There was very little report, 

 and the stag dropped dead. 



This impressed me tremendously with the 

 power of the smooth-bore and patent bullets, and 

 I still believe in its efficiency for short ranges ; 

 but at any distance I have found such inaccuracy 

 that I have given up using it. My gun is a 

 good but an old one, and I freely admit the 

 fault may be entirely with the gun, and that 

 its bore is so much worn that it cannot shoot a 

 bullet. 



Chital. — I have shot specimens of this stag 

 all over tiger-shooting India, but my best heads 

 (36 inches and over) came from H.H. the Mahara- 

 jah of Kapurthala's preserves on the Nepal 

 frontier. These beasts, when going fast across 

 open sots, give pretty shooting, but they are 

 above all the animal for " still " hunting. 



Nilghai. — Common beasts that want much 

 lead, chiefly useful for a hungry camp. In ride- 

 able country they should be ridden and speared, 

 not shot. 



Parah or Hogdeer. — These, I consider, are 

 par excellence the animal for howdah shooting ; 

 and in our preliminary week beating in pig for 

 the Kadir Cup, with a strong line of elephants, 

 we used to shoot a certain number of these 

 deer. They were badly wanted for food by the 



