SPORT IN AN INDIAN FOREST RESERVE. 131 



and he had gone on. I need hardly say a wounded 

 animal should never be disturbed in this way by an 

 unarmed man. They summon up, as it were, a reserve 

 of vital force from somewhere, and go on a mile, 

 whereas if left to themselves for a quarter of an 

 hour or so, they rarely move again. 



On this occasion, anyhow, the bull was gone, and 

 the shikari, as usual, seemed to have no idea what 

 to do. How I longed for my Cingalese trackers ! 

 To make matters worse, a heavy storm came on, 

 which of course would obliterate all tracks of the 

 blood. When the shower was over we resumed our 

 beat in the hope of finding the bull. We entered 

 upon a long tract of low jungle running along the 

 base of the hills. For a long time we saw nothing, 

 till at last I called up my horse to ride back to where 

 I had fired, and where my trap was waiting. Just at 

 the minute, in a deep hollow full of thorn trees, up 

 jumped a bull. I only got a snap shot with both 

 barrels, but heard one bullet, at least, strike. The 

 bull left the jungle, and, jumping the boundary wall 

 like a hunter, galloped across the plain. I ran down 

 where he had gone and saw blood where he had 

 jumped the wall. Luckily my horse was there, and 

 I jumped on his back. The bull had got a good 

 long start, and was heading for a jungle-covered hill 

 not a mile and a half away. Fortunately I knew the 

 country on this side, so rode as hard as my Arab 

 could lay legs to ground, not after the bull, but 

 towards the hill. My manoeuvre was successful. 

 As I neared the hill I saw the bull on my right, and 



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