78 TWO YEARS IN THE JUNGLE. 



buck, feeding quietly near one of these wells, and we easily stalked 

 it under cover of the embankment. As usual, Major Boss gave me 

 the first shot, and scrambling up to the top of the embankment I 

 made a brilliant miss at the old buck, distance one hundred and 

 fifty yards. Major Koss fired and brought down a young buck, and 

 the herd bolted. Instead of running directly from us, they swung 

 round for nearly a quarter of a circle, in a straggling line, the old 

 buck bringing up the rear as a sort of whipper-in ; we paid our 

 respects to him as he came by but missed, and the herd, now 

 thoroughly alarmed, sprang away at race-horse speed. As they 

 passed us, several old does bounded high in the air as though they 

 were leaping over four-foot hurdles, and as they dashed off down 

 the plain, we saw first one and then another spring high in the air, 

 clear above the backs of the others, come down with stiffened legs, 

 and be lost to view in the flying herd. It was an astonishing sight. 

 This strange demonstration in the face of danger is peculiar to the 

 antelope, and whenever observed it betokens thorough alarm, and 

 is a sort of defiant adieu to the sportsman, with the information 

 that he need not trouble himself to follow. 



In watching the herd as it disappeared, I walked backward a 

 few paces, reloading my rifle at the same time, until, happening to 

 look down I saw that I was standing upon the brink of the open 

 well. In the excitement of the moment I had forgotten its exist- 

 ence, and had I taken just one more backward step, I would have 

 gone down head first about sixty feet. What an aggravating, 

 io-nominious, and distrusting death it would have been. Hindoo 

 women often commit suicide by jumping into the -village well. 



About ten o'clock we found another herd of antelope, many of 

 which were lying down for their midday siesta. There was no 

 cover near them, so we had to trust to their unwariness. With our 

 guns in readiness we walked slowly forward, apparently without no- 

 ticing the animals, and made as though we would saunter past them 

 at a distance of one hundred and forty yards. There was a beautiful 

 buck in the herd, quietly lying do^vn chewing his cud. He rose 

 as we approached but stood quite still, and just as we reached the 

 nearest point I slowly raised my rifle and fired at him. My sohd bullet 

 passed through the muscles of his fore-arm and he fell to his knees, 

 but recovered himself as I ran forward, and staggered away. Major 

 Eoss fired at him without effect, and the herd dashed away, leaving 

 the wounded buck to his fate. We followed him as fast as possible, 

 but the farther he went, the farther he seemed able to go. He 



