BUCK-SHOOTING IN CENTRAL INDIA. 315 



walked on the far side of it. They were evidently a 

 bit shy and twice moved off too soon. At last I told 

 the driver to try and move them towards me, and 

 dropped down among the thorn-bushes. These were 

 so low I had to lie flat so as not to be seen, and in 

 this position I could see nothing, while the sun, which 

 soon gets strength in May, was fairly roasting me. At 

 last, when I was just beginning to think my cart-man 

 had made a mess of the thing, I saw two pair of horns 

 above the thorns within a hundred yards. A few 

 minutes after an opening in the bushes showed me a 

 shoulder. As to get up would mean to move them, I 

 didn't see how I should get a better chance ; so I 

 fired, and to my delight heard the bullet tell. 

 Jumping to my feet, I saw one gazelle bounding off 

 while the other lay kicking. Unfortunately it was a 

 doe, who had paid the penalty for bearing horns. 

 She was soon bundled into the cart, and we 

 proceeded. The next thing we saw was a splendid 

 black-buck attended by a couple of does. Un- 

 fortunately they were terribly wild, galloping off 

 before we had got within a quarter of a mile of 

 them. However, he was worth bagging, so I 

 persevered. The second attempt was still more 

 disastrous, for they galloped clean out of sight. 



Proceeding across the dusty plain, I shortly after- 

 wards perceived the other bullock-cart and made towards 



it. H had a nice buck chikara, and explained 



the mystery of the black-buck by telling me he had 

 had a long shot and missed it. No wonder it was so 

 wild. After a drink of cold tea we once more parted 



