TRE GAME BIRDS 0£ INDIA, BURMA AND CEYLON. 317 



Directly between myself and the Bustards the ground was quite 

 bare, but a little to mj^ left and some two or three hundred yards 

 nearer, there were a few bushes and further on again were others 

 I hoped to be able to make use of. Working my way on hands 

 and knees up the rain crack, I got directly in line with the bushes, 

 and after I had wiped the streaming perspiration from my e5''es, 

 continued, still on hands and knees, until I got behind their 

 shelter. Arrived here, I found, I had to make my way in full view 

 of the Bustards — now about 600 yards away — before I could get 

 under cover of a big stone, whence I could again make my way 

 to another clump of bushes. Down I went on my waistcoat and, 

 3'ard by yard, covered 50 j^^ards of open, halting for a few seconds 

 whenever the birds looked my way. At last I got behind the , 

 stone and had a rest before recommencing another series of painful 

 crawls which were to take me to within shooting distance of my 

 game. The two Ber trees shewed up well and kept me on what I 

 believed to be the correct line, and eventually I stopped under the 

 shelter of a couple of bushes and some tufts of grass, which I had 

 estimated to be within about 100 yards of the Bustard and within 

 easy range for inj little rifle. Having rested until m}^ heavy 

 breathing ceased I knelt up, and having mopped vnj face and 

 brought my rifle to full cock, peered out. No birds ! Kneeling up 

 a little higher I looked further afield and then saw them strutting 

 along some 200 yards beyond where they had been when first seen. 

 Unfortunately, at the same moment one of them caught sight of 

 me and after a second's hesitation ran a step or two and then 

 launched on his wide pinions to be immediatel}^ followed by his 

 companion. 



" It was, however, still early, so waiting for my man to come 

 up with my flask, I had a good drink and then once more we 

 searched round the horizon for more birds. There they were, a 

 flock of 8, probably the same I had seen in the morning, though 

 they had wandered some distance since then. Thej^ appeared to 

 be in an excellent position from -m.j point of view for a stalk, just 

 this side of a small rise which would keep them entirelj'- out of 

 sight until I should arrive within 50 or 60 yards of them. I ac- 

 cordingly got up and sauntered quietly away in the opposite 



