THE MAHADEO HILLS. 131 



calves disappearing over a low shoulder on the opposite side. 

 But behind them slowly stalked one bull a majestic fellow 

 nearly jet-black, and towering like a young elephant in the 

 rapidly-closing gloom of the evening. As he reached the top 

 of the rise he paused and turned broadside on, his solemn- 

 looking visage facing in our direction. He was about ninety 

 yards from where I sat, with the heavy 8 -bore rifle I had 

 wearily dragged after him all day rested on my knee ; and, 

 forbidding though he looked, I sighted him just behind the 

 elbow and fired, fully expecting him to subside on the 

 receipt of two ounces of lead driven by six drachms of powder. 

 But there was no result whatever, save a dull thud as the 

 bullet plunged into his side ; and he slowly walked on over 

 the brow as if nothing had happened. My other barrel caught 

 him in the flank, and then I seized the spare rifle that was 

 thrust into my hand, and sped across the intervening ravine. 

 I was toiling up the other side, very hot and much out of 

 breath, when a heavy crash beyond fell upon my delighted 

 ear. I had been in agony lest I had missed the mighty target 

 after all ; but it was not so. There he lay as he had fallen, 

 and rolled over down the hill until stopped by a clump 

 of bamboos. A mighty mass of beef, truly, secured at last. 

 But we were six or seven miles from Puchmurree, and there 

 was no more than half-an-hour of daylight left. The road I 

 knew was frightful, with hundreds of ravines besides the great 

 one to cross, and it was not to be thought of at night. After 

 due consideration we determined to go and sleep at a recently 

 cut dhya that was known by the people, about a mile from 

 where we were ; so, leaving the fallen bull to the shadows of 

 night, we went and made ourselves sufficiently comfortable 

 for the night, under a canopy of the newly-cut branches, on 

 couches spread deeply with the springy shoots of the bamboo. 



K 2 



