58 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA. 



will generally be able to creep in on them without much diffi- 

 culty. Shots at antelope in populous districts are seldom got 

 much under 150 yards now-a-clays, which is however near 

 enough for modern rifles to make sure work. One great advan- 

 tage of employing a horse in stalking is that it will often 

 enable you to follow and spear a wounded buck which might 

 otherwise escape. If you have a brace of good greyhounds in 

 the distance ready to slip, the chances will be still better. A 

 wounded buck often gives a beautiful run with greyhounds, 

 which have never been known to catch' an untouched and per- 

 fect antelope on fair hard ground, though under conditions 

 unduly favourable to the dogs they have sometimes done so. A 

 shooting horse, like several which I have possessed, who is quite 

 steady under fire, does not need to be tied, and will come to 

 call, is a perfect treasure for many sorts of sport in India. As 

 in all good qualities, the Arab is the most likely to develope 

 such a character ; but most horses are capable of being taught 

 something of the business. Should neither horse nor hounds 

 be at hand, a wounded buck should not be followed, up too 

 quickly. If left to himself he will probably lie down in the 

 first cover he comes to ; and by watching the line he takes you 

 may often follow up and secure him. 



In upper India they are frequently shot by approaching 

 them on a riding camel. The more bells and gay trappings 

 he has on him the better, as the antelope on this plan fall 

 victims to their curiosity and amazement. I brought down 

 to Central India with me a trained camel, with which I had 

 thus bewildered many an antelope into rifle distance ; but 

 after getting some dangerous tumbles owing to the yawning 

 cracks that form in the black soil in these provinces after 

 the rains, I had to abandon the camel as a shooting vehicle. 

 As a sport antelope-shooting palls upon the taste. There is too 



