370 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



considerable herds, affects the comfortable life on open 

 grass and glade land. Far from the river he may be. 

 What matter? There are now innumerable pools and 

 marshy depressions in this region that resound to the 

 luxurious squelching of his huge wallowing carcase and 

 the profound blowing and puffing of a monster at ease. 

 This is the season of his loves. Here and there the soft 

 clayey ground will be found ploughed and furrowed in all 

 directions. Perhaps a ponderous strife uprooted those 

 young saplings. In the distance a low deep note brings us 

 to a sudden halt ; the trees are all adrip with the last short 

 shower ; and as the early sun touches the jungle it glitters 

 with millions of faceted gems. 



At the end of a long grassy ride a shower of diamonds 

 falls sparkling down, and a tree-top is seen quivering 

 which can scarcely be the breeze. Wait ! Hark ! Did you 

 hear that splashing and that " click, clack " ? What is it 

 but the huge hoofs of our Bubalus, sucking at the mire as 

 he slowly paces forward. And then a great grey-blue 

 side! Another, all red and glistening from the mire- 

 puddled soil and see ! the earth soft and noiseless for us 

 the creeping enemy, leafy covert all abroad, a steady 

 settled wind; we shall have no difficulty in approaching 

 almost near enough to pluck a hair from those huge sides, 

 and, unless tempted by an extraordinary length of horn, 

 may spare at the last moment. 



Such is the pursuit of speiroceros under the most favour- 

 able circumstances ; but here again, although he has now 

 abated his nocturnal habits and long expeditions, we must 

 choose his track with care, and, above all, shoot hard and 

 straight. Once crossed and intermingled with the scurry- 

 ings of a frightened herd, the tracks of the great bull 

 may be lost for ever; and that is beyond the art of Marian 

 or Gond. 



But most of us will doubtless pursue our bull in the open 

 season, during the summer heats, when that malarious 



