A BONNIE BAG. 35 



besides small game. We had, however, hitherto 

 been disappointed at not finding any bison* (Bos 

 gaurus). We had gone to this particular part of 

 the district in hopes of coming across this grand 

 animal which our shikari had assured us was an 

 inhabitant of the surrounding jungles, in spite of 

 the reiterated assertion of other fellow-sportsmen 

 who vowed they did not come so far north of the 

 Nerbudda river, and who laughed at the idea of 

 our shooting any. However, we were destined 

 to be rewarded, and have the laugh on our side, 

 and, oddly enough, we both saw and bagged our 

 first bison on the same day. As our bag was a 

 very mixed one (that great charm of shooting, to 

 my mind, and, I fancy, to that of most sportsmen), 

 a detailed account of our share of it may prove 

 of some interest. 



One morning, when we had almost despaired 

 of coming across bison, we went to a hill the crest 

 of which was covered with over-hanging rocks, 

 under whose shade bears were reported as wont 

 to reside. Bruin and family, however, were not 



* Known as Bos gaurus, and Gavseus gaurus. The young bulls 

 are a dark, liver-coloured chestnut, which becomes much darker with 

 age an old bull being nearly black on the back and flanks, shaded 

 off to light chestnut on the belly, and inside the thighs, with white 

 marks on the pasterns. The cows are of a lighter colour. They are 

 gregarious, though old, and solitary bulls are occasionally found. 

 They have a very high wither, which is prolonged into a dorsal ridge 



D2 



