120 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



antelopean discipline or etiquette. The commo- 

 tion caused by this scuffle caused the herd to 

 retrace their steps, and back they all came, some 

 of the does passing within easy shot of me, but 

 the buck still kept out of the way on the far side 

 of the herd, going along at a sulky trot. It was 

 a long shot and the light was bad, but it must be 

 now or never ; so, covering him with my rifle, I 

 gave a shrill, sharp whistle which brought the 

 herd up suddenly, and for an instant they stood 

 staring at me, quite motionless, as if carved out 

 of stone. The buck's shoulder is covered, the 

 trigger pressed, and the rifle sends forth the leaden 

 messenger of death. 



As the smoke clears away the herd are in full 

 flight, and soon disappear in the coming gloom 

 but one remains behind, kicking convulsively in 

 the last agonies of death and again I have bag- 

 ged my buck. 



A dear old friend, a good naturalist and 

 thorough sportsman, once told me of the curious 

 effect of a bullet he had fired at a buck. 



Whilst travelling in a palankeen on one occa- 

 sion, for some reason or other he was obliged to 

 halt for an hour or so just at dawn ; so, taking 

 his gun, a fourteen-bore smooth bore, he strolled 

 out. The morning was misty, and he had not 

 gone far when he found himself in the midst of a 



