254 THE START FOR BISON-STALKTNG. 



hundred yards ahead, whilst another follows leading ISTimrod and his gim- 

 bearers. In this way less caution is necessary in advancing, and the sports- 

 man may amuse himself by looking about him instead of having to give 

 heed to every step, an exercise which becomes irksome if continued for many 

 miles. Several men carrying luncheon-basket, &c., who are not required for 

 lighting purposes, can then be included in the following, but for all to 

 advance together is likely to spoil sport. I have a most excellent pony which 

 has saved me many miles of walking after bison before I had elephants. 

 An elephant is, of course, the best animal to have with one, as in addition 

 to riding it, spoils can be brought home from places where they would 

 otherwise be inaccessible. 



A good set of common wooden-handled butchers' knives is indispen- 

 sable. The ordinary so-called shikar knife is generally useless for cutting 

 up and skinning a large animal. It is too thick for the purpose, and too 

 short in the blade, and in cutting deep it becomes a case of forcing a thick 

 wedge in where a thin one is sufficient. Shikar knives are seldom made of 

 sufficiently soft steel to be sharpened readily. They may do for stabbing ; 

 but for such purposes as cutting branches, or flaying a beast, there is nothing 

 equal to the butcher's knife, about a foot long in the blade, and two inches 

 wide, and under an eighth of an inch thick. It may be taken for granted 

 that butchers use the style of knife best suited for their work, and it 

 certainly diffiirs widely from the common shikar knife. A sportsman may 

 be fairly judged from his knives ; if he cannot take the field without be- 

 girding himself with a young hanger he may be safely set down as a tyro. 

 For defensive purposes a knife is very seldom required, as either from his 

 position or the suddenness of an attack a man can rarely use it on an 

 animal, whilst nineteen out of twenty sportsmen might hamper themselves 

 with one all their lives and never have occasion to draw it. All liut 

 beginners soon discard such articles, and let their followers carry more 

 (effective implements. The labour entailed in even cutting ofl' a bison's 

 head without proper knives is very great. 



Heavy rifles arc aljsolutely necessary for good work on bison. I prefer 

 No. 8 with 12 drams of powder. I have only lost one bison I ever hit 

 with mine of this calibre. Many bison have been killed with a 12-bore and 

 4 drams ; but an immense proportion of those fired at with such rifles have 

 been wounded and lost, many to die a lingering death. The vitality and 

 endurance of wounded bison are at times quite startling. I \ised a 12-lK)re 

 spherical-ball ride and drams with hard bullets for some time, but I lost 

 niany bison, and never succeeded in llooring them as can be done with an 

 8-bore. Even when wounded with the latter 1 have known bison Iiold on 



