A SUCCESSFUL STALK 



and necessarily slow, nor could I tell whether in the 

 right direction, having to change my course so often, but 

 still I persevered, and, when I thought I had come far 

 enough, turned toward the open. 



This was an important movement, for if I had judged 

 correctly the herd should be now about sixty yards in 

 front of me. Fortunately, the jungle here was lighter, and 

 I was able to go through it without the slightest sound, 

 but with every step I took I paused to look and listen. 

 Advancing thus, foot by foot, I had made perhaps fifteen 

 yards in about as many minutes, when I found the high 

 jungle come abruptly to an end, leaving nothing but grass 

 before me, a fringe of it some twenty yards in width, and so 

 low that I could see over it. 



As I stood for a time undecided what to do, some dark 

 object at the further edge attracted my attention. They 

 looked at first like ant-hills, those curious creations of the 

 white ant, but presently to my amazement they seemed to 

 me to move ! Thinking this must be an optical illusion, 

 due to the waving of the grass, I examined them through 

 the glasses, when, to my inexpressible delight, I discovered 

 that what I had mistaken for tops of ant-hills, were the 

 withers of the bison ! 



I had hit them off exactly, and there they were, barely 

 fifty yards in front of me, and seemingly quite unconscious 

 of my presence, for they were evidently grazing ; but as I 

 stood watching them, I saw a head or two raised sus- 

 piciously in the air, then slowly sink down again, as if 

 still thinking that something was amiss. 



I stooped down at once, then, again on hands and knees, 

 crept silently through the grass till I had almost reached the 

 edge and could now see the herd distinctly. They had 

 moved further into the open, and were now about thirty 

 yards from me, all grazing except the bull, who was lying 

 down in front of them, nearer to me than the others. 



Keeping my eyes fixed on him, I now laid myself flat 

 upon the ground, and was just about to bring my rifle to the 

 shoulder when some cartridges in my pocket unfortunately 

 rattled. He was up in an instant, and glaring savagely 

 around, stood sniffing the air ; evidently trying to locate 

 the sound. 



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