Jungle By- Ways in India 



unaware of the playful possibilities of the rifle 

 when in this condition. The second barrel jarred 

 off, and I was thrown backwards by the recoil, 

 being in a kneeling position at the time. As it 

 happened, I subsequently found that both bullets 

 had struck him, the second high up. I did not 

 know that then, however, being so wholly taken 

 by surprise at being shot head over heels back- 

 wards so suddenly. As I gathered myself up I 

 saw the bison coming in my direction. Luckily 

 there was a small nullah with an eight-foot drop 

 between us, and I did not wait just then to 

 ruminate over that second barrel, though I 

 remember feeling certain that I had not touched 

 the second trigger. The bison was very hard hit, 

 and did not go 100 yards before dropping to a 

 third bullet. 



That was some time ago. Quite recently, 

 however, another instance of the kind came to 

 my notice. I had spent three days with a man 

 in a glorious shooting-country, the same country 

 in which I had the tussle with the bull I have 

 described already. A day or two after we parted 

 I had a note from him, saying that he had bagged 

 a bison, his great ambition. 



' But/ he wrote, ' I had forgotten the tip about 

 cocking both barrels of the 8-bore at the same 

 time/ 



As can be understood, during the day or two we 

 had spent together in the pretty forest rest-house, 



170 



