136 THE FOREST AND THE FIELD, 



parallel to the hollow in which I had marked them, 

 and, looking cautiously over, there they were still, 

 unsuspectingly feeding not more than sixty paces 

 distant. Selecting the one that appeared to have 

 the finest horns, I took a steady aim just behind 

 the shoulder, and he dropped to the shot ; my 

 second barrel brought another fine fellow flounder- 

 ing on the ground, with a bullet tlirough his loins, 

 that passed out of the opposite shoulder. The 

 three survivors, startled at the report of my rifle, 

 rushed forward a few paces, and then turned and 

 stood, as if bewildered, giving me another fair 

 double shot with my second gun. I rolled over a 

 third dead with a bullet through the neck, and 

 broke the leg of a fourth, which, however, went off 

 at a good pace. Elated with my success, I re- 

 loaded, and, leaving the game to be collected by 

 the coolies, set off in pursuit of the wounded 

 animal. I was soon on the trail, which, being 

 plentifully sprinkled with blood, showed that the 

 quarry was hard hit, and I had no difficulty in 

 following it up. After a quarter of an hour's 

 tracking, I came upon the wounded thaar lying 



