THE GAUR 55 



miles, and it is possible that bison on one portion 

 of it could not always hear a shot fired at a 

 distance; but frequently they must have heard 

 the shot, and in spite of it could not resist 

 leaving the jungle for the luscious grass sprouting 

 in the open. It is as well to remember, however, 

 that, normally, a shot fired at a deer or other 

 animal when tracking bison will send the beast 

 you are after off for miles, even though at the 

 time of firing he was a mile or more away. 

 They seem to be able to differentiate at once 

 between thunder and the report of a rifle, and 

 to draw conclusions accordingly. 



There is no animal which avoids man's 

 proximity more than the bison. Although he 

 is not to be compared with the tsaing (Bos 

 Banting) for wariness, he likes to put as big 

 a distance as he can between himself and human 

 habitations. Tsaing are often found within 

 a few miles of a village, but bison never, unless 

 a solitary animal has inadvertently wandered 

 closer than he meant to. I think I am correct 

 in saying that I have never found herd bison 

 closer than ten miles to a village. As a rule 

 they keep to the hills, and it is generally necessary, 

 or at all events advisable, to take tents and 

 strike into the hills after them. The way bison 

 can gallop up and down steep hills is wonderful, 

 considering the bulk of the animal. Not less 

 wonderful is the manner in which the huge 



