POSTSCRIPT. 231 



crowned the main ridge, from the sides of which numerous ravines of varying depth and 

 width, and of more or less devious course, ran towards the main valleys. 



The forest consisted mainly of teak, the trees being, for the most part, of no great size, 

 and at this season destitute of leaves. The jungles had not long been burned, and the cover 

 was therefore very scanty, the bare black hills and naked stems presenting rather a desolate 

 appearance, only relieved by occasional bright spots where peepul, banyan, and other non- 

 deciduous trees somewhat enlivened the landscape. In some of the deeper ravines patches 

 of long withered grass still remained, while the wide valleys which lay at the feet of the 

 abrupt precipices on the southern side were adorned with groves of feathery bamboo. Water 

 and pasturage both being scarce, and the thin jungles affording but little concealment, the 

 season was most favorable for hunting. 



Having made a few necessary arrangements, I set out, with four or five trackers and. 

 gun-carriers, to explore the hills and ravines to the south of the spot chosen for our bivouac. 

 It was not long before we found tracks, and we had not walked above an hour, when we saw 

 a herd of Gaur feeding leisurely through the forest about five hundred yards ahead of us. 

 They were ascending a gentle slope, and it would have been easy to follow the crest of the 

 ridge and stalk them from above, had not the wind been unfavorable. As it was, I had to 

 descend into the valley below the Gaur, and approach them up hill. It did not take long 

 to carry out the stalk, but, on reaching the place where the herd had been last seen, they 

 had moved away. Advancing cautiously, on crossing a low swell in the ground I came face 

 to face with two cows, which, having gazed at me for a few seconds, uttered a snort of alarm, 

 and trotted off. I could easily have killed one, but as there might be a bull with the herd 

 I let them go, and ran on in the direction which they had taken. A couple of hundred yards 

 farther on I reached some bamboo jungle, and almost met three cows which were quietly 

 walking along, apparently unconscious of danger. 



I sat down to watch for a bull, but as none appeared, and I wanted a specimen of a cow, 

 I fired at the shoulder of one which was standing within sixty yards. She rushed forward, 

 but I knew that my aim was certain at such a short range, and after going about a hundred 

 yards she rolled over dead. Leaving the fallen cow to be skinned hereafter, I continued my 

 hunting, and had not gone above a mile before some Gaur were seen ascending a steep ridge 

 at the opposite side of a small valley. I at once attempted to stalk them, but they had 

 evidently been alarmed by my shot, and they hurried away before I could get near them. 

 The tracks showed that there was a bull in the herd ; so, after giving them time to recover 

 from their fright, we followed in pursuit. 



The tracking was easy, but we had not gone far before we saw the herd, consisting of 

 three cows headed by a jet-black bull, hurrying along the open crest of a hill about half a 

 mile ahead. They soon stopped to gaze about them, and then went on at a leisurely pace. 

 They were apparently making for a lofty spur, where several large peepul trees afforded 

 ample shade and would be likely to tempt them to stop. I therefore determined to make 

 an attempt to head them instead of following them up, and accordingly we made a consider- 

 able detour, and ascended the spur on which they were last seen, from the opposite side. 



