142 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



hills I have been very lucky, but on that occasion we 

 could not find a bull worth shooting although we 

 saw scores. In searching several dales and secluded 

 valleys, where a solitaire would be likely to take 

 up his quarters, we came across an old woodcutter. 

 He had been a fine man in his time, but he was 

 seventy if he was a day. He had lived in these wilds 

 all his life, and earned his livelihood by collecting- 

 firewood, the blossoms of the mhowa tree and 

 honey. He knew every inch of the country. We 

 asked him if he had seen gaur. " Gaur," said he, 

 "why they are as plentiful on these hills as flies in 

 the village." " Yes, we know that," said I, " but we 

 want a solitary bull one that lives by himself." 

 " Why, there is one not half a mile from here," replied 

 the veteran. " I saw him, not half an hour ago. Come, 

 I'll show him to you. I have known him for the 

 last forty years. He lost a part of one ear when a 

 calf, and for the last twenty years he has lived alone, 

 and retires to the thick cover during the heat of the 

 day. I see him nearly every day." 



We followed the old man. He took us over the brow 

 of the hill we were on, and descended into a hollow 

 between two hills. It was narrower than usual ; the 

 sides steeper, and in the centre was an almost dry 

 watercourse. The nullah sides were well wooded, 

 affording a grateful shade ; clumps of bamboos also 

 were here and there scattered about, while in the bed 

 of the nullah, small pools of water existed. The 

 place was well chosen, for the gaur had all he required 

 close at hand. We went along for about half a mile, 

 the woodcutter leading, when suddenly he pulled up 

 and stretched out a long bony, but still muscular, 



