208 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



with this and similar weapons it is usually far the better 

 plan to take a long and steady shot in the sitting or prone 

 position than to endeavour to work close up to one's game, 

 and then probably get a snapshot at an animal bolting 

 away or past one in a maze of tree-trunks and jungle. So 

 instead of stalking up the spur, which, at a distance of 

 about 200 yards, faced that up which the deer were 

 climbing, 1 made the mistake of trying to work up the 

 ravine separating them, in order to cut them off or get 

 close in on them. Of course I left the men behind. 



It was stiff work, and although I caught a glimpse of 

 my game once about eighty yards off, I could not tell 

 which was the stag until they had again moved off and 

 out of sight among the trees. 



By this time they were evidently uneasy, and were 

 steadily albeit easily climbing, instead of loitering on 

 their way. Shortly afterwards, reaching the top of the 

 ridge above us, they disappeared over its brow. " Now ! " 

 thought I, and a heart-breaking clambering run up an 

 extremely slippery declivity took me to where they had 

 vanished. But when I cautiously raised myself and peeped 

 over the ground in front there was no sign of them. After 

 crossing to the edge of the further slope, and satisfying 

 myself that the deer had really moved off, I sat down and 

 examined the hillsides beyond, and shortly came to the 

 conclusion that there was one line, and one only, which a 

 sambar would have taken. 



Going back a short way and signalling up the men, who 

 were now about 500 feet below in the Am khora, I thought 

 out a plan of campaign ; and in due time moved quietly 

 along the ascending ridge for about a quarter of a mile. 

 I then approached the edge once more, and found myself 

 occupying a capital position for a steady shot at anything 

 breaking out of the very likely-looking covert which filled 

 a precipitous kagdr a deep-cut furrow seaming the hill- 

 side half-way between me and the men, who I could now 



