Sporting Trips of a Subaltern 



Much though I should have liked to put a bullet 

 in him, we were after nobler game, and I didn't 

 like to disturb the jungle. 



We had an exciting hunt after a leopard one 

 day. He was spotted sneaking ahead of us, and 

 marked down in a patch of long grass about ten 

 acres or rather less in extent, with fairly open 

 country all round. Two guns on elephants took 

 their stand at two opposite corners, and the other 

 two, of which I was one, with the rest of the 

 elephants, proceeded to beat up and down in line. 

 The brute refused to break cover, doubling back 

 every time he got to the edge, and causing much 

 trumpeting by coming right through the line. 

 Once I saw him plainly right under the elephant 

 next mine. I had my sights on him, but hesitated 

 to press the trigger, as I believed the elephant 

 had a leg directly behind him, and I thought I 

 could get a clear shot in another moment. He 

 was gone, however, as I looked, and though we 

 chivied him till nearly dark, and time and again 

 a trumpeting of elephants and shouting of mahouts 

 proclaimed his presence, neither I nor any one else 

 had another chance. On our way home we were 

 skirting the forest when our host saw something 

 standing under a tree. He called to me with his 

 usual courtesy to take the shot. We were, however, 

 about one hundred yards from the forest, which 

 looked black in the dusk of evening, and I could 



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