38 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



jungle, and, seeing one of these burning trees close by, went 

 up to it and sat down to have a smoke. Presently a splendid 

 buck cheetul came quietly across the open glade in front of 

 us. We sat quite still, and he never observed us till within 

 seventy yards, when he drew up and stared. He was a handsome 

 beast as he stood in the bright morning sun, with his dark- 

 brown sides flecked with white, and his fine antlers thrown 

 back. Hayward, who sat somewhat in rear of the rest of the 

 party, quietly raised his rifle and rolled him over, and we 

 carried him off bodily to camp. 



While encamped in the Dandelly I had a narrow escape 

 of being charged by a bison, owing to want of proper attention 

 to my rifle. I was out one morning with Emaum, and as we 

 were emerging from a thicket of young bamboos we came on 

 four bison feeding on an open space. The clearing was only 

 about fifty yards wide, and in the bamboos on the opposite side 

 we could see the rest of the herd moving about. The wind 

 was favourable, and we were not observed, but any retrograde 

 movement on our part might have alarmed the game ; so, 

 quietly sinking into a sitting position, I raised the heavy 

 single rifle to my shoulder and sat motionless, trusting to the 

 dark brown colour of my clothes and Emaum's skin to escape 

 observation. 



I was anxious to secure a heavy bull, and, supposing that 

 one would be in the herd, I reserved my shot for him, and 

 allowed the four in the open to feed unmolested. One of 

 these was a fine young bull, and presently he turned his head 

 towards me and fed up to within fifteen yards. He was getting 

 too close to be pleasant ; so, aiming at the point of his 

 shoulder, I pressed the trigger. The cap snapped, and the 

 bison started back a pace or two and looked hard at us. Had 

 they charged, we should have been smashed, as we were 



