300 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



the most favoured or jealously preserved ground, yet bear- 

 ing a goodly stock of game, is bound to suffer in time from 

 the steady drain going on all around. 



Very lately I came across a case of organised destruc- 

 tion of game, so astounding in its simplicity, so terribly 

 effective in its action, that it hastened the carrying out of 

 the intention I have had for a long time past to bring up 

 this subject of native shikaris. 



At the end of last August I visited a range of hills said 

 to hold a fair number of bison. The time was not altogether 

 auspicious ; but I was tired of vegetating in my bungalow, 

 and determined to chance the heavy rains and wet that 

 was certain to be my portion. I had never bagged a really 

 good bison, out of three shot in ten years, and was anxious 

 to secure a head that would take a place of honour on my 

 walls beside good specimens of other Indian game. These 

 hills lie close to the River Tapti. They are somewhat 

 remote, and seldom visited by the British sportsman. 



A journey of sixty-five miles over jungle tracks, and 

 a very difficult crossing of the Tapti, which was running 

 down after a heavy flood, took me to the ground I had 

 determined to work. 



I pitched camp on a knoll overlooking a small Korku 

 hamlet, and sent for the local shikaris. There were bison 

 on the higher hills, they said, but they were much scattered 

 now. " Oh, sahib ! " said one of them, " if you had only 

 been here in the hot weather, you could have shot khandis 

 of them down there ! " and he indicated a little valley, now 

 green with long swathes of jungle grass. "There was the 

 only water in all the countryside, and in the early morning 

 one could count the bison like kine by tens and by 

 dozens ! " 



" How many did you shoot ? " I inquired. 



A cunning look stole over his face as he looked at me 

 sharply, but I was nonchalantly lighting a cheroot, and 

 wore an innocent look. " Oh, two or three," he allowed ; 



