THE TEAK REGION. .'29 



chdrjdmd being preferable for this sort of shootiug ; and 

 the smaller and more active the elephant is the better. 

 You should start about eleven o'clock and hunt till sun- 

 down, proceeding as silently as possible through the 

 longest patches of grass, with rifle on full cock, for )ou 

 do not generally get much time to make ready once the 

 deer get up. The presence of recently -used forms 

 (which will be known by the droppings) will indicate 

 the probable proximity of deer ; and it is better to beat 

 thoroughly a limited area than hastily a large extent of 

 country. Where the hills rise by steps, as is often the 

 case in the trap country, the outer edge of each step is the 

 most likely place, and the sambar will almost always run 

 up hill. A standing shot may sometimes be had during 

 a few seconds after the sambar first rise, but more 

 generally they dart off at full speed at once, and then 

 comes into play the most difficult of all the arts of the 

 rifleman — snap shooting at running game ofi" an elephant. 

 The elephant is never jperfectly still for more than a 

 moment, and its short swing must be allowed for as 

 well as the pace, of the deer. The sambar is, of course, 

 from its great size and distinct colour, much more easy 

 to hit than the spotted deer, or barking, or hog, deer; 

 but still it is amazing what a preponderance of clear 

 misses the best shots will make at even running sambar 

 off the elephant, until long and constant practice 

 has given the peculiar knack which is so difficult to 

 attain. It is, however, by far the most deadly as well 

 as one of the most enjoyable ways of hunting the 

 sambar. The best stags will, however, seldom be ob- 

 tained by this method, lying as they do on the tops of 

 remote hills, where one might search for and not find 

 them for a v/eek. 



