BUCK-SHOOTING IN THE MAIRWARRA 25 



flannel sewn inside the coat to cover the spine, are 

 absolute essentials. Add to this the absolute avoid- 

 ance of stimulants, except perhaps a little claret-and- 

 soda with lunch, and the odds are the sportsman will 

 not suffer from exposure to the sun. 



There are various ways of stalking buck, but the 

 most usual is the one I am about to describe, and 

 that is with a bullock-cart. The buck are used to 

 seeing these carts about with the natives, and as 

 a rule will allow them to approach, if intelligently 

 driven in a spiral, within a hundred and fifty yards 

 — that is, if they have not been too much shot at. 

 The sportsman should be walking at the far side of 

 the cart, and when he judges the buck will not 

 stand a nearer approach, he must kneel quietly down 

 behind a tree or bush, while the unwieldy vehicle goes 

 creaking and clattering on. It is just possible that 

 if the cart is carefully and intelligently worked round 

 the herd they may approach the sportsman nearer, 

 but as a rule the shot has to be taken at about 

 the range I have named, and frequently unsuccess- 

 fully. It is hardly necessary to say that following 

 it up with running shots is absolutely useless, though 

 it is often done. The only result is a considerable 

 extent of country disturbed for nothing. 



The weapon to be used for buck - shooting is of 

 course an Express rifle, preferably '400 bore, but 

 anything between '300 and '500 will do.^ The finest 

 antelope -shot I ever knew, who was my companion 

 on the day I am going to endeavour to give an ac- 

 count of, never used any other weapon but a mill- 



1 The modem high-velocity rifle is very dangerous on Indian plains. I 

 find no weapon better for such sport as I am describing than Westley- 

 Richards' " Sherwood " Eifle, used with the " L.T." patent bullet. 



