Rifle and spear with the Rajpoots: being the narrative of a winter's travel and sport in northern India . the right, or get ones gun round quickly for a snap-shoton that side. Apji Sahib looked so comfortable cross-legged beside me that I attempted to imitate his position,but my legs soon got cramped, and a few minutes trialwas enough. Presently the beat commenced, and very soon weheard the crashing through the jungle of some heavyanimal coming towards us. Several good sambhur stagshad been marked down in these covers, and I lookedeagerly through the bushes for the first glimpse of a big-pair
Rifle and spear with the Rajpoots: being the narrative of a winter's travel and sport in northern India . the right, or get ones gun round quickly for a snap-shoton that side. Apji Sahib looked so comfortable cross-legged beside me that I attempted to imitate his position,but my legs soon got cramped, and a few minutes trialwas enough. Presently the beat commenced, and very soon weheard the crashing through the jungle of some heavyanimal coming towards us. Several good sambhur stagshad been marked down in these covers, and I lookedeagerly through the bushes for the first glimpse of a big-pair of horns. The footsteps grew closer, but, alas ! onlyfour or five neilghai appeared. They were all hinds, and,unconscious of their danger, trotted quietly past us, not BEATING FOR SAMBHUR. 293 thirty yards off. I would not fire, but Apji had noscruples, and quickly knocked two over, right and left. Just at that moment, about eighty yards off, andunfortunately to the right, a splendid sambhur staggalloped past. We only caught one glimpse of him,darting through the thick bushes, evidently frightened at. - :i . \ :, AT KOTAII. the shots. Apji, who was on my right, was unloaded,and although I turned as quickly as possible, I felt thesnap-shot had missed. After this nothing appeared, except a few hare andpeafowl. We thought the beat over, and I began to descendthe tree, very glad to stretch my legs. Just as I touchedthe ground, the bushes about five or six yards off moved as 294 RIFLE AND SPEAR WITH THE RAJPOOTS. if some animal were breaking through. I thought it wasone of the beaters, when suddenly, as much to his astonish-ment as mine, a large black bear came out, so close that Icould almost have touched him. The beaters were makinga hideous noise not fifty yards behind, and, seeing me in frontof him, the bear evidently thought his retreat was cut stopped for just one second, half raised himself on his
Size: 1821px × 1372px
Photo credit: © The Reading Room / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1890, booksubjecthunting, bookyear1895
