FORESTS OF GORAKHPUR AND NEPAL TERAI 243 



for the foot-hills, now about twelve miles distant. In 

 case of pigs breaking across the plain, as yesterday, 

 Captain W. and I had ordered our horses to be led behind, 

 with hog-spears. They came in useful for a bigger bit of 

 shikar. We had not gone far when we sighted a herd 

 of twelve great black beasts grazing near a stream. 

 With my glasses I saw that they were arna, and that one 

 of them was a very large bull with great black horns. 



D y believed they were tame buffaloes until we were 



too near them to put out the line of elephants so as to 

 intercept their flight for a belt of jungle to the east of the 

 maidan. Presently the herd of arna started to gallop 

 towards the jungle, cows first, then some bulls following. 

 The big bull brought up the rear to guard his flock. 



W n and I were eager for a gallop, as the ground 



was suitable, and, slinging our rifles across our backs, we 

 started on horseback after them as hard as we could go. 

 Being quickest at the start and on a very fast mount — my 

 black Bokhara — I was not long in overhauling the body 

 of the herd, cutting them off as they lumbered heavily 

 across our front, making for the forest. The ground was 

 fair for a clever horse, there being but a few small dry 

 water-courses to cross. The old cows, however, were not 

 what I was after, but the big bull ; who, seeing an enemy 

 approaching his family, put on a spurt, with head down 

 and tail in the air, making the dust fly, to protect them, 

 and charged straight at my horse's flank. There was still 

 a quarter-mile of open ground, which enabled me to 

 sheer off to his right, on which he headed again for the 

 herd. This happened twice, and, finding he could not 

 catch me, he had to gallop on to the left of my course, 

 following the herd, snorting with rage and getting 

 decidedly blown. This was my opportunity to dismount 

 suddenly, and, kneeling down, I let him have both barrels 



16 — 2 



