ELK HUNTING 



sprang like a tiger from the ground clean on top of me, 

 his feet upon my shoulders, and as I felt his bristly chest 

 against my nose, I fell and rolled for all I was worth to 

 get away from him. Most fortunately for me he noticed 

 Zulu at the same moment, and rushing straight at him, he 

 sent him flying into the air, and as the dog fell with a thud 

 in front of him, he scored him in four places with his tushes 

 across the ribs. He then went on, but stood once more a 

 few yards off, half hesitating whether he should not return 

 to the attack. In the meantime the cry of the leading 

 hounds could be heard close by, and as Zulu rushed for- 

 ward to seize the boar, some of them were already dashing 

 past me. The old dog seized him grandly, and my knife 

 did the rest. The boar weighed 207 Ibs., and stood 32 

 inches at the withers. 



The above, however, is a digression, and we have yet to 

 locate Lifter and Bountiful, whom we last heard high up 

 on the ridge above Tiger's Pool, heading in the direction of 

 Baker's Falls. Getting well away from the sound of water, 

 and on the top of the highest ridge of patna we could find, 

 we listened anxiously a few minutes for tongue. At last 

 faintly the still morning air held the welcome sound, and a 

 gentle breath of wind down Cheetah Gorge revealed more 

 distinctly Lifter's deep bay. It was fully a mile or more 

 off, and I located the sound in a big swamp lying at the 

 foot of Kirigalpota Peak, and at the back of the Aldie 

 Patina Range. We had at least 1200 feet to climb, and no 

 time to spare in doing it, for although a couple of staunch 

 hounds will often " hold up " an old and plucky stag for 

 an hour or more, he may easily get impatient, and with a 

 well-directed stroke of his hoofs he may disable one of 

 them temporarily. In any case he will stand at bay, after 

 he has got his wind, just so long as it pleases him to do so. 



183 



