AN EXPLOEATION IN THE FAR EAST 407 



full cow length, the pair measuring eight feet four inches 

 round the curve and across the skull. 



The herd was now clean gone of course in the meantime, 

 and we turned towards camp. On the way B. shot a cow, 

 and I wounded a bull, and lost him in the long grass. While 

 smoking our pipes after breakfast, one of the men who had 

 remained to look after B.'s wounded bull came in to say that 

 he had been found lying down in an open plain, about a mile 

 away, looking very savage. We sallied forth immediately to 

 encounter him, and found him lying close to a little ridge 

 that had been the embankment of a rice field when the country 

 was cultivated, and was now overgrown with tall grass. He 

 had taken up a position which commanded all approaches, 

 and, as there was no cover, there was nothing for it but to 

 march up on foot. When within about sixty yards I took a 

 shot with a small rifle, on the accuracy of which I could rely, 

 at his broad forehead reclining on the bank. But the angle 

 was wrong, and the ball glanced off without injury to the bull, 

 who sprang on his feet and retreated to the middle of the 

 field. The dogs were now loosed, and bayed round him till 

 he began to chase them all round the* field ; but as soon as 

 our heads appeared over the fringe of grass, he left them and 

 charged down at ourselves. There was no sort of shelter, and 

 everyone had to look out for himself. I stood till he was 

 within about half-a-dozen paces, and then jumped out of his 

 course in the grass, not a moment too soon, my rifle being 

 whirled out of my hands and its ramrod broken. Eecovering 

 it, I fired the undischarged barrel into the back of his shoulder, 

 and at the same time the report of B/s rifle in front of him 

 rang in my ears. Next moment I saw B. fall spinning to one 

 side, while the bull came down on his knees, Tinker, who had 

 dashed past along with him, clinging nobly to his nose. 



