TAKEN BY SURPRISE 229 



away. The big bull, standing with his head down, seemed 

 hard hit, and the smaller stood close to him in an attitude 

 of inquiring sympathy. We stalked down and found they 

 had gone on, but very slowly, so followed the tracks round 

 a couple of side valleys, and at last came on them standing 

 quietly in a narrow depression ; it seemed as if they were 

 trying to hide in the best way they could in this fold of 

 the barren hillside, for the smaller one turned his head and 

 looked in our direction in the sly fashion of a wild animal 

 trying to escape notice. The big bull was twenty yards 

 ahead of the youngster, who was the most alert, and was 

 evidently looking after the safety of his older companion. I 

 fired at the wounded animal with the Winchester and missed ; 

 and missed twice again as they bolted ! The distance 

 was over 150 yards, and I had not a clear view. I now 

 put up the second sight, and my fourth shot, at certainly 

 not less than 300 yards, rolled over the big bull like a 

 rabbit; the fifth shot did exactly the same to the other. 

 Here was luck ' Old Paljour was surprised out of his 

 stolidity ; lie raised a shout, waved his greasy headgear, 

 and salaamed me several times. I was certainly elated 

 myself at the sight of the two bulls kicking up the dust 

 on the hillside below me. We had not gone fifty yards 

 towards them when the smaller one got up and limped 

 along the level track with his leg hanging useless from his 

 shoulder ; he fell twice, and I thought he could not go far, 

 so did not fire again, l)ut he mended his pace by degrees, 

 and ran right round the valley and over the dividing ridge, 

 before I realised that he was getting out of my hands. That 

 was the last I saw of him. The back of the old bull was 

 broken, and he never moved from the place where he fell. 

 I ended his pain with another bullet. ]\Iy first shot, 

 when he came over the ridge, hit him in the fleshy part of 

 the right hind leg. I aimed, or thought I aimed, at his 



