THE NARBADA VALLEY 53 



unprotected rear, were now pulled up in a body, and 

 staring at me with an air wMch had telegraphed the 

 state of affairs to the old buck in an unmistakable manner. 

 I felt very much inclined to sacrifice one of the inquisitive 

 does to my just wrath, but preferred the chance of a 

 running shot at the buck; so I started at a crouching 

 run (somewhat trying to the small of the back) up the 

 bed of the nullah, in the hopes that the buck might have 

 pulled up ere he crossed, and would still afford me a 

 shot. Nor was I mistaken, for, on turning a bend of the 

 tortuous nullah, there he stood, broadside on, in all his 

 magnificence, not eighty yards from my rifle ; but, alas ! 

 who coujld shoot after a run, almost on all-fours, of some 

 500 yards or so ? When I attempted to bring the fine 

 sight to bear on his shoulder, my hand trembled like an 

 aspen leaf, and the sight described figures of eight all 

 over his body. There was no help for it, however; he 

 was moving away;, and I might never have such another 

 chance. So, almost in despair, I fired. I was not sur- 

 prised to see the ball raise the dust a hundred yards or 

 so on his further side, and with a tremendous bound of, 

 I fear to say how many yards, straight in the air, away 

 went the buck like an arrow from the bow. In for a 

 penny, in for a pound ! Once fired at, I might as well 

 have the other shot; so stepping from my cramped 

 position, I held my breath as I tried to cover his fleeting 

 figure with the second barrel. He had gained at least 

 150 yards ere I touched the trigger, but the ball sped 

 true, and over rolled the buck in a cloud of dust. Short 

 was my triumph, however, for ere I had well taken the 

 rifle from my shoulder he had regained his feet, and was 

 off with hardly diminished speed. It is very rarely that 

 an antelope thus suddenly rolled over does not succeed 

 in regaining his legs. Their vital power is immense, and 

 nothing but a brain shot or broken spine will tumble 

 them over for good on the spot. When shot in the heart 

 they generally run some fifty yards and then fall dead, 

 and I much prefer to see an antelope go off thus, with 

 the peculiar gait well known to experienced shots as 

 the forerunner of a speedy dissolution, than to see 



