Jungle By- Ways in India 



arose from the unwitting use of old bad 

 cartridges. 



I had never seen black buck, not having 

 been stationed in black-buck country. Whatever 

 the animal may be, I suppose the sportsman 

 is always keen when first introduced to it. 

 I remember being out once with a man who 

 had never seen or shot a kakar. I have known 

 them intimately for years and, save for the pot, 

 would never dream of raising a rifle to them. 

 This man spent several trying days after them ! 

 And he was in a tiger, bison, and barasingha 

 country ! 



I was in the same position with black buck 

 on the occasion I am alluding to, and, modestly, 

 I only wanted two good heads. 



On no less than four occasions I found myself, 

 after an arduous stalk, in front of a good buck, 

 within easy range. A clean miss, followed by a 

 second, was the result. It was not till the last 

 occasion that I fully realized what was the matter. 

 I had four shots at the buck. It was in the 

 gloaming. The first hit the ground within 30 

 yards of myself ; the buck was about 40 yards 

 away. The next three went off with a shrill whirr 

 like a rocket, curving after the fashion of a shell 

 over the buck. It was ludicrous. I, the firer, 

 could hear the scream of the bullet ! 



I wonder if the Afridis have yet discovered 

 that cordite does not keep for ever. One feels 



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