A DEER HUNT. 



291 



emment rifle, for, unfortunately^ my liglit breech- 

 loa<Uiig Spencer was not on the island, I aimed at 

 the foremost and fij*ed ; she fell, and I ran, shouting 

 out to the others that I had one, when, to my sm^- 

 prise, at the next instant she sprang up again and 

 with one leap disappeai-ed into the dense jungle, 

 rhat was the only good shot I had that day. Again 

 and again we drove, but when we stood in the tall 

 grass, which was as high as our heads, we could not 

 see our game, and when we perched on stumps, or 

 climbed into the trees, we could not turn round 

 quickly enough to ftre suddenly in an unexpected 

 quai-ter with any certain aim. However, when the 

 horn was sounded for all to assemble, one fine deer 

 and one large wild hog were brought in. Once a 

 large male came out about five hundred yards fi'om 

 where I was standing. At the crack of the rifle he 

 only raised his head high and daii^ed away, almost 

 with the speed of a bullet. His antlers were veiy 

 large and branching, and the gracefulness and s]>eed 

 with which he flew over the plain made the sight 

 one of the finest I ever enjoyed. The natives are ac- 

 customed now, during the dry monsoon, to bum the 

 praij'ie-lands, partly in order that new, sweet grass 

 may spiing up, and that when the deer come out of 

 the forests to eat it they will be fully exposed to the 

 rifles, and partly, as they say, to induce them to come 

 out in order to lick up the ashes. The usual method, 

 besides driving, is to lie in wait near a newly-burnt 

 place by night, when there is moonlight enough to 

 enable the hunters to see every thing within a rifle- 

 shot plainly. After the deer is secured its flesh is 



