330 The Hunting Grounds 



sprang on his feet, and threw up his head with a wild 

 snort, which gave me a fair shot, and I sent a two- 

 ounce ball crashing into his brain, when he tumbled 

 heavily forward in the high grass ; and, without re- 

 moving the rifle, I brought the sight to bear upon 

 a fat doe and dropped her with a broken shoulder ; 

 but she immediately regained her feet, and would 

 have given us a long run, or perhaps have got off 



altogether, if B had not given her the contents 



of his second barrel, which again rolled her over, and, 

 whilst she was struggling, Chineah sprang forward and 

 buried his long knife in her chest : her dark, languid 

 eye rolled wildly round for a moment, and dis- 

 tending her wide nostrils, she gasped painfully for 

 breath, heaved a convulsive sigh, stretched out her 

 limbs, and all was still. 



We immediately set to work and broke up the 

 deer; and, after reserving a portion for present use, 

 slung the remainder by creepers to the branch of a 

 tree, tying a red pocket-handkerchief like a streamer 

 to keep off the vultures, who otherwise would soon 

 have scented it out and left us nothing but the bones. 

 I also despatched one of the Mulchers with the 

 heads to the hut, as the horns were good, giving him 

 orders to collect some of his tribe to carry down the 

 venison, and leave the skins with my servants. 



This little matter arranged, we followed up the 

 spoor of the bison, and in a little time fell in with 



