BLUE BULL STALKING. 49 



about, we got out our guns and commenced shooting as 

 we walked. 



Presently I shot one, which towered, and topping 

 a low hillock fifty yards from the road fell among 

 some jungle beyond. The shikari went to fetch it, 

 but to my surprise on gaining the crest of the hillock 

 he dropped down and crept stealthily back to us. 



" Sahib, sahib, byle hai" (sir, sir, there are cattle 

 i.e., nylghai there). 



My plan of attack was soon made. The wind 

 blew from our right, so I ordered the shikari and 



P 's gun-bearer to go to that end of the jungle as 



soon as we had placed ourselves quietly at the other. 

 As we went I slipped a ball cartridge into each barrel 

 of my gun, preferring that weapon to the single .450 

 in the carriage. 



A couple of minutes after we had taken post a 

 herd of five nylghai broke from the covert, and passed 

 us at a distance of some seventy yards, going at a 

 lumbering trot. 



Picking out the biggest one, I fired, and heard the 

 spherical bullet tell loudly. Blood showed at once, 

 but a little high and far back. My second barrel 

 missed, as did P 's only shot, and the herd dis- 

 appeared round a corner of the rocky hill. Reload- 

 ing, I started to follow them up, but almost at once our 

 driver in the road below shouted : " He's down ! He's 

 down ! " I hurried on to give the coup -de-grace, but 

 it was unnecessary, for twenty yards further on lay rny 

 first blue bull, stone dead. The next job was to get 



