OHAPTER II 



A journey by bullock cart Come across antelope A successful stalk 

 Skinning my first trophy Exhibiting my prize Join the 19th Native 

 Infantry A martinet C.O. Life at Malegown Hurdle races and a 

 fall A novel remedy The station skikari and his wiles Paying for 

 experience Beating for a phantom panther Counterfeited foot- 

 prints The fraud detected Flight of the culprit Pursuit and 

 punishment A description of the offender Experientia docet 

 Unreliability of native information Lying to please Other reasons 

 for false reports of game Tact and temper necessary to success 

 Rewards for true information, money well laid out How to acquire 

 experience A sad incident in our Station life Sky-larking ends in a 

 disaster Going to a race meeting by rail Walking along the foot- 

 board Approaching a bridge Warned too late Cannoned off into 

 the river Body subsequently recovered. 



IT was early morning when I left the railway station, at 

 which I had been deposited during the night, and started 

 in my bullock cart on the journey by road. 



We had not gone very far when we came across vast 

 herds of antelope. One small herd was feeding in a cotton- 

 field some distance apart from all the rest, so this was the 

 lot I elected to stalk. Working my way cautiously towards 

 them, I gradually approached within range when, taking 

 a long deliberate aim, I fired at what appeared to be the 

 largest buck. 



The beast fell to the shot at once, and by the time I had 

 run up to it, was dead. I was naturally much delighted, 

 for this was the first shot I had ever fired at any four-legged 

 animal larger than a rabbit, whereas this one, though only 

 an antelope, was at any rate regarded as big game. 



The buck was quite an ordinary one, but to me, as my 

 first sporting trophy, most precious, so much so in fact 

 that I insisted on skinning it myself, after which perform- 

 ance, very indifferently performed I fear, we proceeded 

 on our way. 



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