160 DIARY OF A SPORTSMAN NATURALIST 



looked steadfastly in our direction and this brought me 

 back to the world of reality. 



" Quick, sahib, the burra singh wallah (the large-horned 

 one) on the left," whispered the havildah excitedly, " Quick, 

 he is going to run." 



And in truth it was time. The stag whose suspicions had 

 been aroused changed its walk for a trot and its smaller 

 companion followed suit. The big stag halted and also 

 gazed with his head in our direction. I had a clear bull's- 

 eye to the shoulder. It was an easy shot, as from my 

 position behind the leafy screen we had erected I was able 

 to rest the rifle on a forked branch. Hurriedly sighting 

 on the shoulder I fired. The stag stumbled and then 

 bounded in the air and set off at a smart pace for the 

 jungle into which the other two were disappearing. 



" Again, sahib, shoot again. Quick, quick," yelled the 

 orderly, oblivious of the definite instructions I had given 

 him as to talking when out shooting. 



I jumped up from my kneeling position, raised the rifle, 

 and let fly at the rapidly moving animal. At the report the 

 stag gave a great bound in the air and fell on to its side, 

 half-raised itself up and then rolled over. 



" He's dead, havildah. He's dead." 



But the Gurkha paid no attention. Speeding across the 

 interval in furtherance of a promise to make the meat 

 " clean for the faithful followers of the Prophet " (a 

 process known as "hal-lal"), he whipped out his kukri 

 and made it over to his native companion who was a 

 Mohammedan. The latter went down on his knees and, 

 ignoring the fact that the stag was as dead as a door 

 nail, cut the throat open and saw that at least a drop of 

 blood flowed out. 



" He is alive. See, the blood flows," and he repeated his 

 formula. 



" He lives, Bhai. He lives yet," said the Gurkha, to whom 

 it was a matter of supreme indifference whether the animal 

 was alive or dead for the meat was good meat to him in 

 either event. But the Mohammedan may only eat the flesh 

 of animals who have still lived whilst the throat has been 

 cut to allow the red blood to flow and consequently many 

 an animal shot through the head or heart and stone dead 

 promptly has the throat cut if a Mohammedan is present. 

 This must be done by a Mohammedan or the meat is not 



