116 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



to all animals. At such times tlie bison seek the high, 

 open tops of the mountains ; and I have then seen a 

 solitary bull standing for hours like a statue on the top 

 of the highest peak in the Puchmurree range. 



Though at first sight a clumsy-looking animal, which 

 is chiefly due to his immensely massive dorsal ridge, the 

 bison is one of the best rock climbers among animals. 

 His short legs, and small, game-like hoofs, the enormous 

 power of the muscles of the shoulder, with their high 

 dorsal attachment, and the preponderance of weight in 

 the fore part of the body, all eminently qualify him for 

 the ascent of steep and rocky hills. For rapid descent, 

 however, they are not so well adapted ; and I have 

 known cases of their breaking a leg when pushed to 

 take rapidly a steep declivity ; a bull with one fore-leg 

 broken is at once brought to a standstill. 



Terrible tales are told of the relentless ferocity of the 

 bison by the class of writers who aim rather at sensa- 

 tional description than at sober truth. I have myself 

 always found them to be extremely timid, and have 

 never been charged by a bison, though frequently in a 

 position where any animal at all ferocious would 

 certainly have done so. In all my experience, I have 

 only heard of one or two cases of charging which I 

 consider fully authentic, and in these the animal had 

 previously been attacked and wounded. Captain Pearson 

 was once treed by a wounded bull in the Puchmurree 

 hills, which charged and upset his gun-bearer ; and an 

 officer was killed by one some years ago near Asirgarh. 

 Often the blind rush of an animal bent on escape is put 

 down by excited sportsmen as a deliberate charge. 

 Much, too, of the romance attached to the animal must 

 be attributed to his formidable appearance ; for the sullen 



