10 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



and as I lay upon my back looking up into the shimmering 

 green of the dehcate bamboo leaves I speculated on the size 

 of the owner of the stout white stockings so recently seen ; 

 upon the size of the trophy they supported and whether 

 it would ever become mine. Also what sort of a dance he 

 was likely to lead us that afternoon, and at what time we 

 were likely to see camp again. I was just dropping into an 

 untroubled slumber when a touch on the arm brought me 

 wide awake on the instant. It was Bishu. The quest was 

 to begin again. 



Skirting the dense mass of bamboos we soon came upon 

 the bull's tracks leading straight up a rocky slope covered 

 with long grass. I had some trouble here owing to loose 

 stones, the trippy nature of the grass, and the blazing 

 heat of the sun, and it must have taken us an hour to go a 

 mile. Then the ground became easier and we followed the 

 tracks over the ridge and down into the cooler valley below. 

 It was a relief to get out of that sun and glare. The valley 

 was filled with bamboo clumps, and great circumspection 

 had to be used as we knew that if the beast was put up 

 a second time and I failed to get a shot we should never see 

 him again. The bison was not in the valley, however, and 

 another long, hot hill-side had to be negotiated. For three 

 hours we slowly followed the tracks, using a tantalizing 

 caution wherever the jungle thickened. Again the trail 

 dropped to a nullah, somewhat broader than those passed 

 through latterly, the ground on the opposite side of the 

 stream rising but gradually. The forest here thickened, 

 the trees being of good growth and height. 



Once again Bishu went on alone after signing to me to 

 halt. I had become very despondent over my chances, for 

 the bison had evidently been more alarmed than Bishu 

 had imagined. But this spot looked so favourable for a 

 bison to lie up in that I became again optimistic and waited 

 the reappearance of the shikari with high hopes. Nor were 

 they vain ones. 



Without a sound Bishu suddenly reappeared, and one 

 glance at his face told his tale. I stepped silently towards 

 him, grimly resolved to move at my own pace and repress 

 all excitement no matter what my companion did or what 

 appeared in front of me. I advanced through a low under- 

 growth of small plants and shrubs which yielded easily 

 as I pushed noiselessly through them, eyes alternately on 



