130 GUN, RIFLE, AND HOUND. 



anything of the beaters. Meanwhile it began to rain 

 as it only can in India. In ten minutes the valleys 

 were rilled with roaring streams, which rolled the 

 loose stones down in their mad career. It left off, 

 however, as suddenly as it had begun, and I uncovered 

 my rifle again. I ought to have mentioned before 

 that a brother officer had asked me to try a rifle of 

 his a '500 Express. I had fired a few shots at 

 the target with it and found it fairly reliable, but 

 the day was not over before I regretted not having 

 brought a 12 -bore. 



At last I saw a dark object appear at the top of 

 the pass before me. I was, of course, invisible, being 

 hidden by a clump of jungle. Slowly it descended 

 the hillside, and finally, as it heard the beaters 

 behind, broke into a trot, keeping along the side of 

 the main hill. It was a blue bull. It passed me at 

 about sixty yards. I fired and hit it, but it went on 

 slowly. Again I fired and it fell, but got up and 

 went on slowly. A third time I fired, anathematising 

 the pop-gun I had in my hand. Again I hit it, and 

 after going a few yards it collapsed. 



My attention was now directed to a hyaena which 

 was stealing round the hill to my left. I tried to get 

 a shot, but the cunning brute dodged from bush to 

 bush. Meanwhile I heard shouts behind, and to my 

 disgust saw two natives where the bull had fallen, 

 and the bull himself just disappearing over the hill. 

 I waited till the beat was over, and then went 

 towards the natives, who, it seemed, had gone to 

 look at the bull. By doing this they had moved him, 



