THE VULNERABLE SPOT. 199 



seventh shot. I now had no difficulty in finishing 

 the one with the broken leg, and thus secured three 

 of these huge beasts in a few minutes without 

 stirring from my place. On examining the slain 

 animals more closely, I found that all seven bullets 

 fired at the one which charged had lodo^ed in his 

 chest, and stuck there like a row of buttons. 

 Knowing with what force a rifle will project a 

 bullet at nearly point-blank range, I was amazed 

 at the prodigious strength displayed by this animal 

 in resisting seven such tremendous blows. 



After great experience in yak-shooting I am 

 convinced that one cannot do better than aim 

 behind the shoulder of the left side if possible, for 

 the bullet will go right through and lodge under- 

 neath the skin of the opposite side after touching 

 some vital part. But a rifle bullet of small calibre, 

 such as the Berdan, even if it touch the heart, does 

 not of necessity instantaneously kill an old bull, who 

 will often run for several minutes after receiving 

 such a wound. If you aim at the head you are 

 never certain of killing even at short ranges, and if 

 your bullet strike obliquely, although of larger 

 calibre,^ it will not penetrate the skull. It was 

 always my intention that, if I should ever be hard 

 pressed by one of these animals, I would cripple 

 him by firing at the legs. 



Cows and young bulls are also exceedingly diffi- 

 cult to kill for another reason, viz. that they are 

 always in troops, and you cannot single one out of 



* 1 had a Lancaster rifle which carried a bullet of No. 16 calibre. 



