140 BISON. 



it took four men to carry his head and marrow bones to 

 Toonacudavoo. The first shot struck within two inches 

 of the root of the left horn, and must have had a tremendous 

 effect on his nervous system, to cause him to collapse as he 

 did, this circumstance also accounts for the " click " of the 

 bullet, and absence of blood, when tracking him up. On 

 the 21st July we started again for the Currian Sholah, both 

 shikaries being victims of a surfeit of ibex flesh, and 

 arrack the night previous, and consequently unable to do 

 much work, so I took a line of country of my own choosing. 

 About 2 p.m. we struck the fresh trail of a herd, and in 

 half an hour sighted the bull, standing almost head on 

 towards me, a bad position, but, thinking a steel-tipped 

 bullet through the front of his shoulder would reach his 

 lungs, I fired ; It was a dull steamy day, without a breath 

 of wind, and the smoke hung so much I could not see the 

 effect of the shot, but the width of the slots showed he was 

 the worse for wear. A mile up a steep hill took me to the 

 edge of a glade about sixty yards broad, on the opposite 

 side of which the herd had halted. It consisted of twelve 

 bison, and I soon made out the bull by the wound on the 

 shoulder, and gave him another bullet, aiming for the 

 heart, but the uphill run had made me shaky, and it must 

 have struck a little too high. The clearing away of the 

 smoke revealed an awkward state of things, as the whole 

 lierd was charging me in a solid phalanx, not twenty-five 

 yards off. I had reloaded the right barrel immediately 

 after firing, and now gave the bull two more shots, which 

 had not the least effect ; but snatching the other rifle from 

 Atlay who bolted like a deer I browned the animal that 

 threatened me most, a huge cow, with both barrels ; she 

 turned a complete somersault, and fell, kicking, on her 

 back within ten yards. This broke the formation, and 



