Introductory Chapter 



because they really and honestly didn't know, that 

 I hope this may give a helping hand to a few. 



To return to the point ! 



Anything, as a hard and fast rule, at over 

 300 yards should be avoided — 200 yards is too 

 far ; except on an absolutely flat plain, when one 

 cannot even "worm' up to one's object, one 

 should never fire at over 100 yards or 150 yards. 

 With a very small amount of patience 80 or even 

 60 yards can often be reached, but it sometimes 

 makes one sweat a bit, as, besides the exertion, 

 all one's nerves are concentrated on not being 

 seen, heard, or winded — I usually end up wring- 

 ing wet after taking on a really stiff stalk. 



I think it is a most necessary thing that directly 

 one sees an animal, distinctly that is to say, one 

 should have one's mind made up — u I want 

 that ! " and go for him at once without the 

 slightest hesitation, telling one's men to walk 

 straight on, also without delaying at all. It is 

 almost a hard and fast rule that directly an 

 animal sees the row of people walking in single 

 file stop or hesitate, he is off like a bird. If you 

 want the animal, go straight at him. The chances 

 are that he will watch the number of men and 

 porters walking along, and not you by yourself. 

 Take the following as an example in point. They 

 say that birds cannot count, so why should 

 animals ? I remember reading in a book as a 

 boy, an account of how some one wanted to kill 



29 



