154 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



On the 23rd heavy rain all night, and for the greater part 

 of the day, but we went out all the same. About 8 a.m. I 

 came upon five gaur lying down, and wishing the others to 

 get shots too, I stood perfectly still, beckoning to them to 

 hurry up ; but one of the elephants trumpeted whilst my 

 back was turned, and off the gaur went without my getting a 

 shot : so much for forbearance out shooting. We followed 

 them, and at last a monster gave me a broadside shot. I 

 put two belted balls in him ; he ran about 300 yards and 

 then pulled up, breathing heavily. Madden was on a fast 

 elephant, I was on a very slow one ; he ran ahead came 

 alongside the bull, and in his excitement missed with both 

 barrels ! A young one joined the old bull and cleared the 

 way for him, and eventually we accounted for them both. 



We then moved to a village called Thep-pat. We saw 

 sambur and a lot of gaur, but the grass was too high, and we 

 could only see the tips of their horns as they bounded along. 

 The country not having been burnt, it was useless remaining 

 there, so we made tracks back to Myetquin. We agreed to 

 fire at gaur, buffaloes, or tigers only, but there were so many 

 stags about that the temptation proved too much for 

 my comrades, and they opened fire. The reports of their 

 fusillade disturbed a gaur to my left. He presently joined 

 four others in an open glade, so we jumped off our steeds 

 and stalked them on foot. We got within 80 yards there 

 were three standing near one another one stood at least a 

 foot higher than the others, and they were all full grown ! 

 The head and shoulders of the monster were behind the trunk 

 of a tree. I could not see them from where I was, but 

 Madden and Boyle could. At a given signal we fired. I aimed 

 at the hip-joint down he went. He looked very old, very 

 emaciated ; all his ribs stuck out, but he was colossal. The 

 others went away with their tails in the air. I ran for- 

 ward, and by the time I got within 20 yards he had partly 

 struggled up, his hind-quarters were down and his fore up, 

 resting on his heels. I let fly into his shoulder ; up he jumped, 

 and went off on three legs, one of the hind ones flying about 

 anyhow, broken at the joint. As there was long grass about 

 we mounted the elephant, and went in chase. I got two 



