THE NILGAO. 95 



sticking, three of us attempted to ride down a cow. This I believe to be nearly impossible 

 as a general rule, the only chance being with a heavy old bull. On the 15th of April, 1866, 

 D., N. and I had a good morning's pig-sticking near Jalalpur, but had a stop put to our 

 sport by N.'s horse falling (just as we were starting after an enormous boar), and stunning 

 his rider. As he did not move, D. and I feared that he was seriously hurt, and pulled up to 

 look after him, but luckily he recovered his senses in two or three hours, and in the after- 

 noon was able to accompany us in search of the monster who had so unfortunately escaped 

 from us. We beat for some time, but failed to find him. Having given up all hopes of him, 

 we suddenly saw a cow Nilgai coming towards us, and as we had miles of open country before 

 us, we resolved to attempt to spear her. I was mounted on a large ' waler,' a fast horse, but 

 cursed with a very bad temper, and too impetuous to be a good pig-sticker (he had jumped 

 into a nullah sixteen feet deep with me that morning ! but the bottom being soft and muddy 

 he did not fall) ; he was now, however, in good humour, and went well. D. was on a nice 

 little Arab, and N. on a slow but staying country-bred. As the cow passed within thirty 

 yards, we at once gave chase. The stride of my horse told at first, and I led for more than 

 a mile at best pace, keeping about the same distance behind the cow. I then began to feel 

 that my horse was beginning to ' shut up,' and hallooed to D. to go faster (as if he was not 

 already doing his best) ! He could go no faster, but my horse went slower, and D. and at 

 last N. succeeded in passing me, but without being able to gain an inch on the cow, who 

 gradually increased her lead, and at last fairly ran us all to a standstill, after a run of at 

 least six miles. D.'s horse fell heavily towards the end of the run, and lamed himself so 

 badly, that we could with difficulty get him back to the tents. It was by far the fastest and 

 most severe run I have ever seen. The tactics we pursued, of trying to burst the Nilgai by 

 pressing her at first, were the only ones at all likely to be successful. Had we attempted to 

 make a waiting race of it, we should have been left still farther behind. As it was, she had 

 not the slightest difficulty in beating us on the hard ground. 



In March, 1868, as we were marching down country, I hunted for Nilgao near Bara, 

 about halfway between Loodiana and Umballa. I found a herd of cows, wounded one 

 severely, and rode her down. I next saw twelve Blue Bulls on an open plain, and walked 

 up to within shot of them. There was one immense bull, but when I wanted to fire, my 

 horse would not let me, and the herd trotted off. Following them up, I got a lono- shot 

 with an Enfield rifle, and hit the big bull. I then jumped on my horse with a spear, and 

 gave chase. I was soon riding at their tails, and singled out the big fellow, who did not 

 seem to be much the worse for his wound, and went away at a tremendous pace. I kept 

 close behind him, and we soon came to cultivated fields enclosed by thorn hedges ; after 

 jumping three or four of these, the bull suddenly swerved to the right, and charged a high 

 hedge with a rope in it. This brought him on his knees ; and as he immediately turned to 

 the left again, I went at a place between two trees, where the thorns were piled up very hio-h, 

 but there was no rope. My horse rose at it well, and I got through with the loss of my 'pugree,' 

 which remained hanging on the tree. The bull now gained on me a little, and on his jumping 

 another impracticable place I was thrown out, and lost him among some high sugar-cane. 



