THE NILGHERR1ES. 153 



to disappointment, when on the very 

 same rock, and standing just as the doe 

 had stood, there appeared a buck ! My 

 first had been a steady, careful shot, and 

 now, resting the gun on a rock, I fired 

 my second barrel with still greater care. 

 Again there was an upward bound, 

 and the buck was gone! This was 

 too grievous, but just then came a shout 

 from below, and the shikaries an- 

 nounced that they had seen the buck 

 when I fired, and that he had fallen 

 into a ravine. Down they went ac- 

 cordingly, nothing daunted, and after 

 a scramble lasting about half an hour, 

 they brought me up the head of the 

 buck (which carried a handsome pair 

 of horns) and a hind quarter. The 

 shikaries had been watching another 



