IN AN INDIAN FOEEST RESERVE 277 



hand.^ Again I hit it, and after going a few 

 yards it collapsed. 



My attention was now directed to a hysena which 

 was stealing round the hill to my left. I tried to 

 get a shot, but the cunning brute dodged from bush 

 to bush. Meanwhile I heard shouts behind, and to 

 my disgust saw two natives where the bull had 

 fallen, and the bull himself just disappearing over 

 the hill. I waited till the beat was over, and then 

 went towards the natives, who, it seemed, had gone 

 to look at the bull. By doing this they had moved 

 him, and he had gone on. I need hardly say a 

 wounded animal should never be disturbed in this 

 way by an unarmed man. They summon up, as it 

 were, a reserve of vital force from somewhere, and 

 go on a mile, whereas if left to themselves for a 

 quarter of an hour or so, they rarely move again. 



On this occasion, anyhow, the bull was gone, and 

 the shikari^ as usual, seemed to have no idea what 

 to do. How I longed for my Cingalese trackers ! 

 To make matters worse, a heavy storm came on, 

 which of course would obliterate all tracks of the 

 blood. When the shower was over we resumed our 

 beat in the hope of finding the bull. We entered 

 upon a long tract of low jungle running along the 

 base of the hills. For a long time we saw nothing, 

 till at last I called up my horse to ride back to 

 where I had fired, and where my trap was waiting. 

 Just at the minute, in a deep hollow full of thorn- 

 trees, up jumped a bull. I only got a snapshot with 

 both barrels, but heard one bullet, at least, strike. 



1 I should rather have spoken of the cartridge with the long hollow 

 point to the bullet. See chapter on "Trade Bullets" in The Snaffle 

 Papers. 



