LOSE A GAUR BUT BAG ANOTHER 155 



more shots, and he left pools of blood behind, but he managed 

 to crawl into a cane-break, where elephants could not pene- 

 trate. We went after him on foot came upon where he had 

 been lying in a mass of gore ; but he had enough life left to 

 play at hide-and-seek with us, and as it was getting dark we 

 had to desist and go home. Next morning a large herd was 

 reported as close by, but in the opposite direction to where 

 we had left the wounded one. Convinced that he was dead, 

 I sent Shoayjah on an elephant to ascertain, and we went 

 after the herd. We were rather late in starting, as we were 

 to move homewards to-morrow. We agreed to fire at nothing 

 less than gaur, buffaloes, or a tiger, but we searched far and 

 wide and did not see the kine, so my comrades got tired of 

 not firing, and coming upon a fine sambur, let fly. I was 

 disgusted and turned towards home, but had not gone more 

 than a couple of miles when I saw a couple of gaur. I tried 

 to stal'k them, and in so doing put up a herd of about eight. 

 They ran on, tail on end, for 50 yards, and then wheeled 

 round. I fired a right and left at two of the largest, and 

 when the smoke cleared away the herd all but one was 

 gone. I went up to it and killed it ; my ball had struck the 

 dorsal ridge, and had paralyzed it. I knew another was 

 wounded, and followed the herd, but seeing no marks of 

 blood, went home. Had I gone about 100 yards to the 

 right I should have come upon him lying down. There in 

 that position I found him next morning, but he had strength 

 to get clear away, but left pools of blood behind him. 



May 27. We determined to go home via Pojahgalay Quin ; 

 I had heard much of it, so putting everything we had, in- 

 cluding servants, on elephants, we went straight across country 

 and put up the wounded gaur as just stated. But my gun 

 was in its waterproof cover, and I could not get it out in time 

 for a shot. Beyond the tree-jungle, about five miles on our 

 way, we came to a sort of half pond, half bheel, in which were 

 lying down some dozen wild buffaloes ; we dismounted and 

 opened fire, but failed to persuade one to remain behind ; 

 further on, we came to two of those Boyle and Madden had 

 fired at dead, just dry skeletons. 



We got to Pojahgalay Quin late in the afternoon. I had 



