232 POSTSCRIPT. 



On reaching the summit I had the satisfaction of finding that my surmise was correct, and 

 that the Gaur were standing under one of the large peepul trees. I had no difficulty in 

 stalking to within a hundred and twenty yards, but I then found that a deep ravine intervened 

 between me and the Gaur : this it would be impossible to cross without being seen. I crept 

 to the edge of the ravine, and, under cover of a small bush, carefully reconnoitred the herd- 

 The cows were standing in the open, but the bull was at the other side of the tree, and 

 I could only see his head and neck, and, occasionally, his tail. I lay watching them for a 

 long time, but although the cows occasionally moved about, and one eventually lay down, 

 the bull remained almost motionless. With the naked eye it was difficult to make out his 

 exact position, owing to the flickering shade cast by the peepul leaves ; but, with my bino- 

 culars, I could see that his head and a considerable portion of his neck were clear of the 

 stem of the tree. I was lying out in the sun, slowly roasting, and I had in my hands a rifle 

 in which I had the utmost confidence, so, although the range was rather a long one, I resolved 

 to fire for the neck. I must have taken a false aim owing to the deceptive light, and my 

 bullet probably struck the tree ; at any rate it did not touch the bull. 



I had been lying in an awkward position when I fired, and the recoil of the heavily charged 

 rifle drove one of the hammers into my forehead, covering my face with blood, and momen- 

 tarily interfering with my sight. Hastily sitting up, and dashing away the blood, I saw the 

 bull standing clear of the tree and offering a capital chance, and I at once fired my left 

 barrel at his near shoulder. With the activity of a deer he bounded across the ravine, and 

 passed me within twenty-five yards before I could insert a fresh cartridge. I had, however, 

 the satisfaction of seeing a crimson patch behind his shoulder, and immediately following 

 him up I saw him moving off through the thin forest "at a very slow pace. Hurrying in 

 pursuit, I kept slightly above his track, as he went along the steep hill-side, but I had not 

 gone above a hundred yards before he became aware that he was being followed and turned 

 to seek his foes. 



Back he came, at a fast gallop, evidently looking out for some one on whom to wreak his 

 vengeance. I was ahead of my men and stood my ground, while they, being unarmed, very 

 wisely scrambled up trees. I allowed the bull to come on to within forty yards, when I 

 fired my right barrel at the point of his shoulder, reserving the other in case he came to close 

 quarters. The shot did not check him, but he slightly swerved, and passed me within twenty 

 yards. He had no sooner passed, than I gave him the left barrel, on receiving the contents 

 of which he floundered forward about fifty yards, and fell to rise no more, the last bullet 

 having smashed his shoulder to pieces. On going to examine my prize I found that my 

 three bullets had all struck within a foot of each other : any one of them would have been 

 ultimately fatal. An old man who had accompanied me as gun-carrier was sitting on the 

 ground within a few yards of the fallen bull, which he declared would have caught him had 

 I not broken its shoulder. The old fellow was not active enough to climb a tree like the 

 others, and seeing that he was unfitted for such work I did not again take him out. 



The bull was a fine one, with an almost hairless skin : he probably would not have 

 remained much longer with a herd. 



