THE NILGHERRIES. 157 



yards. When I reached the bottom 

 of the hill, I took to my hands and 

 knees, and crept painfully on. As I 

 mounted the third and last slope, I 

 became conscious that my hands were 

 getting unsteadied ; but my calculations 

 had been exact, and as I cautiously 

 rose to my knees I saw right in front 

 of me, through the grass, the outlines 

 of a pair of round ears and a dark 

 muzzle. The elk was taking stock 

 of me, and not a moment was to be 

 lost ; so without rising higher, and 

 steadying myself by a desperate effort, 

 I aimed through the nodding grass- 

 tops, six inches below the nose of the 

 elk, in a line to reach the throat. 

 There was a rush, and I started to 

 my feet ; the elk was off, but at about 



