BULLET AND SHOT 



chance of hitting a cow by mistake, unless he 

 should happen to see one member only of a herd 

 of the proximity of which he had no previous idea. 

 This occurs so very rarely that this single risk he 

 must run if shooting in a thick, low-country forest ; 

 for so acute are the senses of the animal, that he 

 cannot delay firing should he come upon and see 

 any vital portion or large limb of it probably 

 through intervening jungle, and usually at pretty 

 close quarters. Should he delay till he could 

 make out the animal properly, it would most likely 

 detect him and vanish without giving him another 

 chance. 



If the sportsman should obtain a shot at a bull 

 standing broadside on, a bullet placed just behind 

 the shoulder, and a little below the centre of the 

 side, will be fatal. If he should fire more in front, 

 and break the shoulder-blade, the animal will shortly 

 be at his mercy ; though he may travel a little way 

 if the bone has only been perforated, until it breaks 

 under the weight of the huge body. A shot fired 

 at right angles with the body far back through the 

 ribs is useless, and beyond inflicting a cruel wound, 

 which may cause the subsequent lingering death of 

 the animal, will have no effect in compassing the 

 object of the sportsman, viz., the bagging of his 

 trophy. 



A shot high up through the loins, thus perforat- 

 ing the liver, is a certain one, but is not so rapid 

 in effect as a bullet well placed behind the shoulder. 

 The animal in the former case may travel, fight, 

 and take some more lead ere he dies, if followed up 



34 



