338 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP, xx 



grateful than a member of the Established Church would have 

 been under similar circumstances. He exhibited his gratitude by 

 a voluntary exhibition of his powers as an acrobat, leaping to a 

 great height, and turning somersaults, for which performance his 

 dress was admirably adapted, as he had nothing on but ashes. 

 He then walked upon his hands, head downwards, doubled himself 

 together with his arms beneath his legs, and hopped like a frog ; 

 until he wound up the entertainment by balancing himself upon 

 his nose on the hard ground a feat that would have been highly 

 remunerative at the close of a charity sermon in London. 



Our " Bishop " was of considerable service during a memorable 

 hunt. I had wounded a very fine black-buck, which made off 

 across the open country. Although it had a long start, I had 

 slipped the dog Cabrd immediately, and we had a glorious chase 

 straight across the level ground, the young wheat being about 8 

 inches high. 



I was on a fast elephant, therefore we managed to keep the 

 animals in view. All the villagers turned out to see the fun ; the 

 natives who were travelling along the road put down their bundles 

 and enjoyed the scene ; people who were working in the fields 

 rushed after the dog, others cut across and endeavoured to turn the 

 buck. Thus hard pressed, the buck altered its course, and having 

 passed the village, it turned to the left, disappearing from my view. 

 We hurried the elephant along at about 8 miles an hour, as I felt 

 sure the buck would either run directly through our camp upon 

 the bhund, or it must take to water, as it would be intercepted by 

 the lake. The dog was about 100 yards in the rear, running 

 beautifully. 



We turned the corner, passed the village, and almost im- 

 mediately we saw a crowd, in the middle of which was the 

 Bishop, holding the buck by the horns, in spite of its frantic 

 struggles to escape. It appeared that the animal at full speed 

 was passing by his temple directly towards the lake, and the acro- 

 batic parson, with extraordinary agility, sprang across its path and 

 seized it by the horns. They had the greatest difficulty in 

 restraining the dog, which upon arrival immediately pinned the 

 struggling buck by the throat, but was cruelly beaten off with 

 bamboos by the excited crowd. 



Much might be written upon the black -buck, as it is the 

 prettiest animal in India, and without any exception it affords the 

 best sport to a lover of the rifle, but there would be a mono- 

 tony in the description. I shall therefore close this chapter, and 

 devote the next to the more important antelopes of Africa. 



