252 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



had shot at, and catching sight of the big stag said it 

 was one Hamilton had been in chase of for the last two 

 or three years, as he had a white mark down the 

 rump, where he had been clawed by a leopard. 

 Marking the spot up to which we had followed the 

 goat, we took up the trail of the stag. I fired 

 altogether eleven shots at him of which we found 

 nine had taken effect before we secured our quarry, 

 and a noble beast it was too, with splendid antlers, 

 each over thirty-seven inches from the burr to the 

 tip. By the time we had secured the game we were 

 fully three miles or more away from where we had 

 first seen it, so we had tiffin and rested a little. 

 Instead of retracing our steps, Francis took a bee line 

 straight up a steep hill, saying the ram would be in 

 the " shola " on the other side. Climbing that hill was 

 a " buster," but it saved us several miles. When we 

 reached the top, I found we had to descend fully five 

 hundred feet, the hill top itself being as bare as a 

 bone. On our downward course we put up several ewes 

 and kids, but let them alone, although I was sorely 

 tempted to shoot one of the latter for the pot. It was 

 now past two ; and Francis said the buck would be stiff, 

 so lie close. I ready to pull the triggers at the least 

 sound, entered the " shola." Immediately there 

 was a rustle. I fired more at the noise than at any- 

 thing I saw, and as I did so up got the ram. I caught 

 him with the left barrel, but he went on ; but, strange 

 to say, I found that with my first shot I had killed a 

 wild dog, which I have no doubt had been after the 

 wounded quarry. As the skin was a very good one, 

 Francis placed the dead animal among a group of 

 rocks, saying he would have it brought in when he 



