Jungle By-Ways in India 



As one strode along behind the eager villager, 

 who already in his mind's eye saw one of his 

 enemies laid low and hot steaks for his evening 

 meal, one thought that these shikar periods 

 made life in India good at times to live. 



Suddenly we arrive at the edge of a small 

 cliff. The drop to the river-bed was some 

 twenty feet, the river, one of quite considerable 

 size for this part of the world, being some 30 

 yards across. The purling limpid blue stream 

 which should have been trickling along its sinuous 

 course down the semi-rocky, semi-sandy mud bed 

 was there no longer, and in its place a dirty yellow- 

 coloured flood now rolled. A ford had to be care- 

 fully sought, as it was in a dip on the top of the 

 opposite cliff between its edge and the forest 

 beyond that we hoped to find the blue bull. 



Proceeding up stream, we at length found a 

 fordable place and crossed in silence. Climbing 

 up the opposite bank, we crawled quietly up the 

 gentle rise and looked over into the dip. 



Yes, there were the blue bull right enough, 

 but all light bluish-grey in colour — does only. 

 There were five of them, two old beasts, and three 

 of youngs and intermediate ages, one being but a 

 large calf. 



Looking away to the right, I saw the bull, 

 and a big bull he was, dark blue-black in colour, 

 with his glossy coat glistening in the early rays of 

 the sunlight, and in places sparkling with dew- 



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