REMINISCENCES 



The bull had grazed a great deal, but had also 

 travelled, and we probably followed him over the 

 greater portion of his night's wanderings, as well 

 as over the ground traversed by him during the 

 early hours of the same day. The sun was high, 

 and- the day hot, when we arrived at a dense bamboo 

 cover through which the tracks led ; and my hopes 

 fell, for I well knew that under such conditions the 

 bull would certainly be lying down, and that my 

 chance of finding him grazing in the open was 

 gone. 



After going through the thick cover for some 

 distance, I heard, what I had for some time been 

 expecting to hear, viz., the rush of the bull as he 

 dashed off alarmed. I could not tell how far the 

 thicket extended, but, just on the bare chance, I 

 rushed a few paces forward, and at once came upon 

 an open, and saw the bison dashing madly across it. 

 A huge blackwood log, about three feet or more in 

 diameter, which had been felled and squared by 

 the Forest Department, lay in his path, and I 

 pitched and pulled a snapshot with the 8-bore just 

 as he took a flying leap over this obstacle. I did 

 not for a moment imagine that I had hit him, but, 

 just as a matter of form, went up to the place and a 

 little way along the track, when, to my great sur- 

 prise and delight, a Kurraba picked up a fallen 

 leaf with a single spot of blood upon it. We 

 followed the tracks, found more blood, and I at 

 last came up with the bull, and after some more 

 shooting and following, I bagged him. My first 

 bullet, which was fired from directly behind him, 



61 



