88 ELEPHANT AND BISON 



gave me one look and I think the bull meant 

 to " go for " me. Bison are dangerous when 

 wounded or when they have calves about them. 

 I was above him, and aiming between his horns, 

 I tried to hit him in the middle of the withers and 

 succeeded. He fell as if struck by lightning and 

 died as I got up to him. I never was more 

 gratified in my life. Everyone in India had 

 told me that it was very difficult for anyone to 

 get a bison, and impossible for a crippled old 

 man to do so. I have got my bison and a good 

 one. He was a seven-year-old bull, so at least 

 they told me, with a very nice head. A bull bison 

 is quite the most beautiful animal I have ever 

 seen. This one stood about 18 hands at the 

 shoulder. The coat is black-brown, and all four 

 legs are white or cream colour. He looked like a 

 gigantic prize bull at Smithfield. I am indeed 

 glad to have obtained such a fine trophy. I then 

 went back to the other side of the hill to see what 

 had happened to the bull that was lying down. 



My shot had disturbed him and he was trotting 

 away through the very long grass. I tried him, 

 although the shooting was extremely difficult. 

 My first shot went just over him, but my second, 

 well over 300 yards, hit him and wounded him 

 severely. I should undoubtedly have got him 

 that afternoon but for the fact that he was at the 

 edge of a jungle into which he worked, and where 

 the " grass " was some 12 feet high (grass is really 

 cane), and where it would have been perfectly 

 useless to go after him as well as very dangerous. 

 I, of course, could not get down there on account 

 of my leg, and the shikaris refused to go up to him, 



