BIG DAYS WITH BUSTAKD JEDILLA. 49 



wheels back and almost gives us a chance as he takes the 

 hill in reverse; but he sees the danger and passes to the right, 

 swerving in his course too near our vis-a-vis, and before we 

 hear the report we can see the ponderous mass of 301bs. of 

 bustard collapse. He is struck well forward, in head and 

 neck, and pitches heavily earthwards, splitting his broad 

 chest as it rebounds from the unyielding soil. We had — 

 and that by sheer chance — a single head to show for this 

 caref ullj'-planned drive . 



Our young friends in the valley were sad indeed, but 

 over such things let us draw the veil. The drivers, too, 

 had witnessed their failure. It may be safer rather to 

 leave their feelings to the sympathetic reader to imagine 

 than to describe. Old Bias declared they had " lien ado 

 ■el ojo de carne " — that the huge bulk of the birds had con- 

 cealed from over-anxious eyes the rapidity of their flight. 

 After lunch what had appeared a catastrophe became a 

 jest. 



An unsuccessful manceuvre followed, and we had to ride 

 afar to seek fresh handadas. After traversing leagues of 

 corn-land — at this season as lonely as an African desert, 

 — we descried a considerable pack, and again luck favoured 

 us as to site. An arroyo, or stream, ran along the valley 

 below — one of those small rapid currents that, in winter, 

 tear deep and narrow gulleys, and in the summer become 

 quite dry, save in a few of the deeper pools or favoured 

 corners which resist the heat and afford nesting homes for 

 the mallard and drinking resorts for the bustard. Now, 

 there was water all along, and tall reeds and canes grew 

 several feet in height. Could we place the guns along this 

 ditch the drive was secure. The question was, Would the 

 birds allow a mounted group to pass so near ? We tried 

 and succeeded. Witness's luck placed him in a cane- 

 brake, whence he could watch every movement of the 

 bustards at leisure. On rising, the pack bore straight to 

 the gun on the left. Luckily (for us), this "point-gun," 

 in his undue anxiety, showed too soon — before the birds 

 had come well in. The pack swung in our direction, right 

 along the line, giving a chance to both centre guns (only 



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