iv SAMBUR 69 



found Gough waiting with a regular dinner for a 

 hungry stalker, and didn't I just do it justice ! Tired I 

 was in earnest that night ; it was the first day's hard 

 work I had had for many weeks, and the overland 

 route does not improve the wind. Next day Porter 

 came up at seven o'clock, and we beat a few of the smaller 

 jungles. I requested to be placed at the end of a 

 wood running into the one they were going to beat, 

 knowing that when the old cunning deer hear the 

 smallest noise they make off instantaneously, quietly 

 going away, and nothing more is heard of them ; the 

 mistake of not putting a gun well forward is one most 

 commonly made. I had not been there five minutes, 

 the beating having begun, when with a rush three 

 sambur passed me. I only managed to get one. 

 After that we had no luck, the beaters being wretchedly 

 bad. I stalked in the evening, but had no luck at all. 

 I was lonely enough that first evening on the hills. 



The next day I and the old shikaree were off at 

 daybreak, and I had a very nice stalk after a young 

 stag sambur which I bagged. It was curious enough ; 

 he was a long shot off and under me ; I fired farther 

 back than usual, as he was standing very foreshortened. 

 I thought I heard my bullet hit, but on seeing him trot 

 quietly and unconcernedly down the hill I fancied I 

 must have been mistaken, so fired at one of the hinds 

 and missed it ; at the report of the second barrel the 

 young stag fell like a shot dead. I immediately 

 thought my second barrel must have glided off a stone 

 and killed him ; but on going down I found my ball 

 had hit just where I had aimed, and tracks of blood all 

 the way down from where I had fired the first shot ; so 

 much again for a sambur's strength ; the ball had gone 

 right through the most vital parts, and out of his left 

 breast in a diagonal direction. After that we caught 



