BLACK-BUCK SHOOTING. 121 



herd of antelope. Several does sprang up from 

 the short, sweet grass on which they had been 

 resting, and looking weird and ghost-like as they 

 gazed on the intruder. 



Presently a fine black buck followed their 

 example, lazily stretching himself as he rose, and 

 stood facing him about sixty yards off. My friend 

 fired at his chest, missing that but breaking a 

 foreleg just below it with the ball, which then 

 passed through the hinder leg on the same side, 

 smashing it close to the hock ; the bullet then 

 glanced into and broke the other hind leg, which 

 must have been lazily stretched back as the buck, 

 roused from his sleep, stood staring at the 

 sportsman. 



The chikara, or Indian gazelle (gazella bennettii), 

 is another antelope common on the plains of 

 India, though it prefers low scrub jungle to the 

 more open plain. It is commonly known by the 

 name of * ravine deer,' from its habit of frequent- 

 ing the banks of ravines or nullahs that so plenti- 

 fully intersect the country. It is much smaller 

 than the black buck. The male and female are 

 both of a brown-fawn colour. The horns of the 

 male vary from ten to thirteen inches in length, 

 and are deeply annulated, curving slightly back- 

 wards, with the points bending forward. The 

 female also carries horns ; but they rarely exceed 



