A HUNTER'S PARADISE 57 



whom he himself had taught to decipher the tracks and 

 signs of the jungle to some small extent. 



My hesitation was but brief, and was perhaps chiefly 

 connected with the rifle I carried. Not wishing to 

 overburden myself, I had only brought with me a light 

 450 black powder express. Cordite express rifles had not 

 then come into general use. To those who know its signi- 

 ficance their advent alone speaks volumes for the decrease 

 in the game animals of India. Now to face a bison with a 

 black powder -450 express is madness. Of course, many 

 have done it and wounded their animal and never seen it 

 again or, a far rarer event, killed their beast by a lucky 

 shot ; others have done it or tried it and have paid the 

 penalty with their lives. Elephants have been killed 

 with a -303, but few would care to stand up to a charging 

 rogue elephant with only this weapon in their hands. I 

 had a fair-sized bump of caution about me, but I was 

 young and the temptation was out of all proportion to the 

 size of my caution bump as it has been to many before 

 and will, in like circumstances, be to the end of time. Nor 

 am I quite certain in my own mind that I should not 

 succumb to the temptation now. 



A motion of the head and we set forth to follow the 

 tracks of the herd. 



I am not relating this episode with any idea that it 

 redounds to my credit. Far otherwise. It may read 

 amusingly, and I have since been able to perceive the 

 entertaining side of it. At the time, however, as events will 

 show, my attention and interest were held by the serious 

 aspects of the position. Also I have little hope of per- 

 suading any other keen youngster to act differently. With 

 the temptation in front of him he will certainly give way to 

 it. But this episode will show him one of the experiences 

 he may have to confront when, inadequately armed, he 

 follows up dangerous game on foot. 



The tracks of the herd we now commenced to follow were 

 simple enough to read, and it was evident that there were, 

 at least, a score of animals in it. The difficulty lay in the 

 fact that the forest at this season of the year was all as 

 dry as tinder, and walking without making a considerable 

 rustle and crackle was by no means easy, so thickly did the 

 dead, dry leaves of the sal trees lie in the denser parts of 

 the forest. 



