chap. vii. A CURIOUS SHOT. 167 



fine antlered buck standing within thirty yards of me 

 in a small patch of underwood. His head was turned 

 towards me, and his nostrils were distended in alarm 

 as he prepared to bound off. I had just time to cock 

 my rifle as he dashed off at full speed ; but it was 

 a murderous distance, and he fell dead. His antlers 

 matched exactly with those I had last shot. 



I turned towards the direction of the tent, and, 

 descending to the bed of the river, I followed the 

 course of the stream upon the margin of dry sand. 

 I had proceeded about half a mile, when I noticed 

 at about 150 paces some object moving about 

 the trunk of a large fallen tree which lay across the 

 bed of the river. This stem was about five feet in 

 diameter, and I presently distinguished the antlers 

 and then the head of a large buck, as they appeared 

 above it ; he had been drinking in the stream on the 

 opposite side, and he now raised his head, sniffing the 

 fresh breeze. It was a tempting shot, and taking a 

 very steady aim I fired. For a moment he was down, 

 but recovering himself he bounded up the bank, and 

 was soon in full speed through the forest with only one 

 antler upon his head. I picked up the fellow-antler, 

 which the rifle-ball had cut off within an inch of his 

 skull. This was a narrow escape. 



I did not reload my rifle, as I was not far from the 

 tent, and I was tired of shooting. Giving my rifle 

 to the gun -bearer, I took the double-barrelled gun 



