42 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



bison, viz., a young bull and a cow. He had 

 come across a herd of about twenty and had got a 

 right and left with the above result, though he 

 had wounded another which he lost. The head 

 of this, however, a fairish young bull, was brought 

 in a few days later by some Gonds who had come 

 on him lying dead. He had also bagged a couple 

 of spotted deer, a sambur, with but a poorish head, 

 and a four-horned antelope. 



Fired with our success, we had c bison on the 

 brain,' and determined to go and sit up that 

 night on the chance of bagging some more. 

 My friend was to watch a pool of water, 

 where he had seen numerous footprints, whilst 

 I was to guard another, at which I was told 

 bison frequently came to drink. After an early 

 dinner, about half-an-hour before sunset, we 

 started in opposite directions. I had not left 

 camp more than five minutes when I was over- 

 taken by one of our servants, who came running 

 after me, and said he had just seen a tiger strike 

 down a cow close to our tents ! I ran back as 

 hard as I could, and found the unfortunate cow 

 still alive, but unable to rise, with the cruel fang- 

 marks fresh and bleeding on its neck. I was 

 young and inexperienced in those days, and fool- 

 ishly followed the tiger's tracks into a nullah 

 densely overgrown with creepers and bamboos, 



