336 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



that some animal was cither killed or wounded. Mora, on the 

 contrary, was affectionate, although savage to a degree when game 

 was to be attacked. 



I once broke the fore leg of a fine old buck at a long shot, and 

 it went across country as though untouched, the bone being 

 fractured just above the knee. Cabre' was with me alone, and he 

 ran that buck single-handed for upwards of 3 miles. We had lost 

 both antelope and dog, and I followed upon a fast elephant, 

 inquiring of every native whom we met working in the fields 

 whether he had seen anything of the hunt. Every man told the 

 same story ; he had seen a buck followed by a dog, and they had 

 taken a certain direction, which was pointed out. At length, after 

 a long search upon a boundless plain of cultivated ground, bright 

 green with young wheat about 6 inches high, I made out with the 

 binocular glasses a small knot of people, with a dog following 

 behind. 



Upon our arrival we found a number of natives carrying a 

 black-buck slung upon a long pole, all four legs being lashed 

 together, and behind the little crowd was our dog Cabre', who had 

 run the buck down single-handed and seized it in a nullah, close 

 to a village. The natives had secured it, and were bringing it in 

 triumph to my camp, a distance of 3 miles. The buck was still 

 alive, as these people, being Hindoos, had declined to kill it. This 

 was one of Cabr^'s early performances ; after which he quickly 

 became distinguished. 



The antelopes are all more or less bullet-despisers ; if they are 

 not struck in the right place, they exhibit a wonderful tenacity of 

 purpose and of life ; but the black-buck is exceedingly difficult to 

 kill with certainty. If there is any covert within reach, it will 

 attain the shelter, to die a miserable death, unless it is shot 

 through the lungs, heart, or neck. It is a small animal, and, 

 being wary, it is seldom that a shot is obtained within 100 or 120 

 yards. The mark, to be fatal, will be limited to 3 inches square, 

 or at the outside 4 inches. Distance upon a flat plain is deceptive, 

 therefore it is necessary to possess a small-bore Express of the 

 highest velocity to ensure a flat trajectory. In my opinion a '400 

 bore with 4 drams of powder is the best rifle for this sport. This 

 is the only case in which I recommend an expanding bullet. The 

 long projectile of the '400 should have a very shallow hollow 

 inch at the point, and only inch in diameter. As the bullet will 

 be 1^ inch in length, it will not smash up into films or shreds, but, 

 if composed of pure lead, it will flatten out at the point for about 

 half an inch, and form a mushroom head, that will prevent it from 



