276 THE IMAGE OF WAR 



now stopped the beat and mounted my Arab, direct- 

 ing the shikari to let the men recommence shortly, 

 and beat right through steadily till he saw me 

 again. Emerging on to the plain I rode on, passing 

 all the places we had stood at the week before. At 

 last I came to a place which I thought would do. 

 On my right was the main range, on the left a steep 

 hill with a valley each side, both of which I could 

 fairly cover. This would do, as it was obvious that 

 all game the beaters found must either come to the 

 gun or break out over the plain. I had already 

 learnt that they would not cross the main ridge. 



A long time elapsed before I could see or hear 

 anything of the beaters. Meanwhile it began to rain 

 as it only can in India. In ten minutes the valleys 

 were filled with roaring streams, which rolled the 

 loose stones down in their mad career. It left off, 

 however, as suddenly as it had begun, and I un-. 

 covered my rifle again. I ought to have mentioned 

 before that a brother officer had asked me to try a 

 rifle of his — a '500 Express. I had fired a few shots 

 at the target with it and found it fairly reliable, but 

 the day was not over before I regretted not having 

 brought a 12-bore. 



At last I saw a dark object appear at the top 

 of the pass before me. I was, of course, invisible, 

 being hidden by a clump of jungle. Slowly it de- 

 scended the hillside, and finally, as it heard the 

 beaters behind, broke into a trot, keepifig along 

 the side of the main hill. It was a blue-bull. It 

 passed me at about sixty yards. I fired and hit 

 it, but it went on slowly. Again I fired and it 

 fell, but got up and went on slowly. A third time 

 I fired, anathematising the pop-gun I had in my 



