103 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



for it was late on in the evening, I had to give up 

 the pursuit. The following morning I thought I 

 would go out and ride him down. I soon found 

 my friend, who got out of a cotton-field not far 

 from where I had lost sight of him the previous 

 evening, and being mounted on an old Arab hog- 

 hunter, famous for his staying powers, I c laid in.' 

 One of the buck's fore legs was broken, and I 

 could see it swinging as he went dotting along 

 on three legs. I did not press him much at first, 

 thinking ray task would be an easy one, and that 

 when we got on better ground I should soon run 

 up to and spear him. This better ground, con- 

 sisting of a stretch of plain between the patches 

 of cultivation, was soon reached, and then I woke 

 up the old horse. The buck, however, still kept 

 ahead of me, and, do what I would, I could not 

 succeed in diminishing the distance between us. 

 However, the wounded muscles must have relaxed 

 as he warmed with exercise, and, after going some 

 three miles, he got on broken ground, and 

 amongst a network of nullahs, amid which I lost 

 sight of him, and had to confess myself beaten. 



I remember another occasion, where the riding 

 down of a wounded buck might have been at- 

 tended with fatal consequences to my horse. I 

 had wounded a vo^y fine old black buck, and had 

 had a good gallop after him till I ran him to a 



