THE BLACK BUCK. 333 



and grassy glades of mountain tops and slopes to low-lying 

 jungles, descending to salt-licks and favourite feeding grounds 

 at night, to return before sunrise to harbour during the day 

 in the higher coverts. The Kymore hills still contain a 

 few small herds, and those of the tributary mehals more, 

 and of a finer breed than those of the eastern frontier and 

 Tipperah. 



The " nil-ghau," the gazelle, and the four-horned antelope 

 may still be met with in the western districts, but they are 

 by no means numerous or made the objects of special pursuit; 

 in fact, it goes against one's heart to fire at these fast disap- 

 pearing creatures. 



There remains to be mentioned only the black buck, 

 which has not yet become quite extinct in these Provinces, as 

 it inevitably will be in a very few more years. I have seen as 

 many as three hundred together in Pooree, and have tried 

 them with rifle, horse, and greyhounds on the sandy dunes of 

 that district, the two last failing to bring them to bay. On a 

 certain occasion in particular, accompanied by one of my 

 brothers, both of us riding under eleven stone, and both 

 mounted on fast horses in good condition, we did all we could 

 to circumvent and ride down some bucks with the aid of two 

 couples of greyhounds, but all in vain. Separating and divid- 

 ing the hounds, we took up positions nearly opposite each 

 other, and as soon as the antelopes commenced to make off, one 

 of us would take up the chase, and sticking to the best buck 

 of the flock, would lay into him at racing pace, the other with 

 his hounds taking up the running as the antelope neared him; 

 and thus the game went on all the morning till noon, by which 

 time we were compelled to confess ourselves vanquished 

 after several ineffectual chases. Always at first the game 

 seemed to be in our favour, the greyhounds running up hand 

 over hand, but when our hopes were at the highest, we ceased 

 to gain upon our quarry, and then gradually and surely fell 

 back, till with blown horses and hounds, we pulled up dead 

 beat, the buck vanishing beyond some sand hillock, not, how- 

 ever, without his powers having been stretched to their 



