UP A TREE IN THE JUNGLE 197 
a menagerie, not one has ever been captured alive. 
A number have been killed and mounted and are 
to be found in museums, 
In meeting seladangs a hunter needs all his skill 
and courage. They eharge without an instant’s 
warning, breaking through the jungle at incredible 
speed. Unlike most animals, they do not try to 
protect themselves by defensive methods, holding 
the charge until they are cornered; they are in- 
stantly on the defensive. The hunter becomes just 
as much hunted as his quarry; each tries to attack 
by surprise. It is vitally important in running 
down seladangs for the hunter to keep his feet clear 
of vines and creepers, so that he can be free to jump; 
and also to keep his eye on a tree, which will pro- 
wide refuge in case he needs it. The only possible 
way for a hunter to escape the direct charge of a 
seladang is to fall flat and let it run over him; its 
neck is so short that, when he is prostrate, it can- 
not reach him with its horns. Then, if the hoofs 
have not knocked him unconscious or broken his 
bones, he can jump up, before the seladang can 
check itself, and run for a tree. For the man once 
caught on the beast’s horns, there is no escape; it 
tosses a victim time after time and then tramples 
him. 
I had never met a seladang—and I must admit 
that I was not especially anxious to meet one—but 
I had no doubt of my ability to handle it if the emer- 
gency arose, and so I determined to go to Rawang 
