ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 35 



had not heard the thud of the bullet on his side. On going 

 up to the spot where the deer had been standing, Emaum 

 bent down, and pointing out some hairs on the grass, pro- 

 nounced it " no miss." The hairs had been cut by the ball on 

 entering, and lay just below where the shoulder of the deer 

 had been, the spot being plainly indicated by the deep marks 

 of the hoofs in the ground as it started at my shot. Following 

 up the track, we came on the deer lying dead. On other 

 occasions, I have been similarly assured that deer had been 

 wounded, and have brought to bag beasts that otherwise 

 would have been lost 



The bungalow was situated in a lovely spot, about sixty 

 yards from the river's bank. To the rear of the house was a 

 huge banian tree, alive with minahs, parrots, and green pigeons ; 

 and on all sides were clumps of giant bamboos seventy feet 

 high, standing out like feathers against the clear sky. The 

 river here was about one hundred yards across, the somewhat 

 broken bed of the stream changing just above into a fine deep 

 pool. We made this place our head-quarters for about three 

 weeks, stalking morning and evening in the jungles, and 

 generally having some fresh additions to make to our game 

 list every evening. 



I did not get a shot at a bison till I had been out some 

 days ; but one morning when I was stalking with Moideen we 

 came on fresh tracks. My companion plucked some blades of 

 grass, which had been cropped, and pointed out how the 

 broken edge had not dried, from which circumstance he knew 

 that the game was not far off. It is remarkable how little 

 impression these large hard-hoofed animals leave on the sun- 

 baked earth, and, though sometimes the footprints are plain 

 enough, at others, they can only be distinguished by a prac- 

 tised tracker. 



