40 A NOVICE S INEXPERIENCE. 



tale, anticipation tells a far more flattering one ; but what 

 a falling off there is in the reality ! what disappointment ! 

 The fact is, it requires a long apprenticeship to learn wood- 

 craft. In the first place, it is not easy for a beginner always 

 to see the game before him, which appears to an old hand 

 to be perfectly plain ; it also takes a long apprenticeship 

 to be able to tell at a glance in what position the animal is 

 standing, whether facing you, broad side on, or at an angle ; 

 and it is as likely as not that the bullet strikes in the wrong 

 place. An American once said to me, "There is a mighty 

 difference, sir, in shooting a grizzly bar [bear], and a painter 

 [panther] ; a bar stands up on his hind legs, and you looks at 

 him and sees where his heart is, and you plugs it, but a 

 painter, sir, you no sooner knocks the life out of one part of 

 his body, than it runs into the t'other." Now in forest 

 shooting a beginner looks and looks and does not see where 

 the heart is, and the number of animals which get away 

 wounded is chiefly due to this cause. Another thing which 

 astonishes the novice is the wonderful way in which a native 

 shikarie will track game, when to all appearance there 

 are no indications for him to act upon. In later years, though 

 I could never equal the natives, I could track with considerable 

 success. I remember once taking a friend out after bison; 

 we came on the spohr of a herd which appeared to me 

 almost as plain as a cattle track, and after following it for 

 some time, much to my surprise my companion said " Oh 

 let's go home, there is nothing to be got here." It was 

 difficult to persuade him that we were on the track of a herd 

 of bison, and I suspect it was only when I pointed out the 

 bull to him (which he had the good fortune to kill) that he 

 was quite convinced I was telling the truth. There is also 



