NEWS OF BISON 



was fairly accurate, as he had just obtained it from a 

 coolie, whom I questioned shortly afterwards, and who 

 had seen the animals while on his way to " muster." 



As I could no longer doubt the beasts were there, I 

 determined to follow them up as soon as possible, but 

 knowing the climb would be a stiff one, I sent one of my 

 ponies half-way on ; and an hour later followed on the 

 other, the horsekeeper trotting behind me with my rifle. 



Although the hill itself was barely three miles from the 

 bungalow, to reach its summit, it was necessary to traverse 

 more than twice that distance, the greater part of it by a 

 winding, stony path, little better than a goat track. I 

 found the second pony at the bottom of the hill, and 

 transferring the saddle to it, commenced the steep ascent. 



An hour of steady climbing brought us near the top. 

 Afraid to go further, I dismounted, and leaving the pony 

 with the horsekeeper, crept cautiously along on foot. 

 But in spite of all my care, I had apparently been too 

 noisy, for as I reached the summit, and had raised my 

 head on a level with the plateau, the last bison of the herd 

 was disappearing into the jungle. 



It was useless to attempt following them, for the cover 

 was too dense to allow of noiseless stalking ; I accordingly 

 dropped back to the pony, and taking charge of it myself, 

 sent the horsekeeper off to a neighbouring village, which 

 commanded a spot where the jungle ended, to watch, and 

 if the animals emerged, to report to me at once. 



About three-quarters of an hour later, he came running 

 back to say that the herd had just left the jungle and were 

 grazing in the valley, about half a mile below ; this was the 

 very thing I had hoped for, and as the valley in question 

 lay between two jungles ; by making a detour, I could 

 approach them from the other side, where the cover seemed 

 very light and the wind all in my favour. 



Instructing the horsekeeper to remain with the pony, 

 I took the rifle from him, and keeping to my right, crossed 

 the valley a long way further down, and thus gained the 

 opposite cover at a spot which I had calculated would 

 be about a quarter of a mile from the herd. But although 

 the valley stretched in front of me for half a mile or more, 

 there was nothing to be seen ! 



M 161 



