PALJOUR IN AN AWKWARD HOLE 223 



One took effect, and broke his right hind leg below the 

 knee ; this crippled him, but he made a regular bolt round 

 the steep and stony hillside above us, with the intention, 

 evidently, of getting into the upper part of the valley. 

 We ran, too, in the same direction, but lower down the 

 slope, to cut him off. His progress, however, was slow, as 

 I could see from the dust — he was out of sight owing to 

 a curve in the hill. I slackened my pace, but Paljour, 

 not noticing this, went on and got above me ; he was thus 

 between the bull and myself. As the bull turned the 

 swell in the hillside, he suddenly came in sight of Paljour, 

 and, instantly changing his course, charged furiously at the 

 old man, straight down hill. Paljour retreated towards me, 

 best pace, shouting to me to fire ; but at first I could not 

 see the bull, and when he did come in sight the shikari 

 was directly in line with him. I shouted to him to get 

 out of the way, but he was too flustered to understand. 

 Fortunately, above me, and about ten yards off, a small 

 rock jutted out of the hillside, and Paljour screwed himself 

 under it, into the smallest space. The infuriated bull 

 stood above the rock, only a few feet from the man, 

 evidently at a loss. He could hear his enemy distinctly, 

 for Paljour was shouting continuously, at the top of his 

 voice, for me to come and hide under the rock beside him. 

 It was clear that both man and animal were unconscious 

 of each other's proximity: one was mad with rage, and 

 the other w^as off his head with funk. There was no 

 time, however, to admire the tableau, for the monster above 

 me was bent on mischief. I put a -500 Express bullet 

 into his chest, and down he came straight for me. I 

 backed a few yards to get out of his course, and fell into 

 a stony hole, cutting my legs very severely — the hand of 

 Providence again ! In the hole I was out of sight of the 

 furious animal, which thundered past, about three yards 



