REMINISCENCES OF JUNGLYPUR 221 



while I was limited to the sdmbar, bears, etc., which were 

 conspicuous by their absence. My companion, after several 

 days' fruitless labour in the search for his one bull, had 

 given it up in despair, and had joined forces with me to 

 have a final beat for sambar ere leaving the locality. As 

 I sat behind a tree-trunk, near a tiny clearing on the 

 hillside, there came a crashing of bamboos, and lo ! a 

 mighty bison. 



Climbing a knoll not fifty yards from where I sat, the 

 great bull emerged on the open, and paced solemnly along, 

 till he got my wind and came to a sudden halt. I had now 

 despatched my orderly, who accompanied me, to seek 



K swiftly and bear him the news that his bull had at 



last arrived and stopped the way ; and only by a most 

 painful effort of self-control restricted myself to " drawing 

 beads " on various vital portions of my vis-d-vis. 



Not catching sight of me as I sat behind my thick tree- 

 trunk, and imagining, I suppose, that my disappearing 

 henchman was the only cause of the human taint he had 

 perceived, the bull moved slowly forwards till a distance of 

 only some twenty paces separated us a fine sight ; his 

 noble, solemn countenance crowned by the curly whitish- 

 yellow hair that grew on his forehead between the spread- 

 ing horns. Suddenly sighting me, he again halted, and, 

 staring fixedly, snorted sharply. I remained perfectly 

 motionless, however, and after a few more whistling snorts 

 and stamps of his fore foot, he began edging round the 

 tree, which I carefully kept between us. This sort of 

 game went on for some time, the bull never much more 

 than thirty yards away, after which, having described the 

 best part of a circle round me and my tree, he turned 

 away, after indulging in a prolonged stare, and the ridge of 

 his great dark chocolate-coloured back disappeared behind 

 some long grass. Following him gingerly, I suddenly 

 started back on seeing him again facing me ; and, this 

 time, thought that he really meant business. Nothing 



