remarking upon the extremely “ bad eye" of their
master.
On the rising of the sun next day we had struck
our camp, and were upon the march to Delladilla.
On the way I shot a splendid buck mehedehet (R.
Ellipsyprimna), and we arrived at our old quarters,
finding no change except that elephants had visited
them in our absence, and our cleanly-swept circus
was covered with the dung of a large herd. As this
spot generally abounded with game, I took a singlebarrelled
small rifle, while the men were envas'ed • O O m pitching the tent and arranging the camp, and
with Taher No or as my onjy companion, I strolled
through the forest, expecting to obtain a shot at a
nellut within a quarter of a mile. I had walked
about that distance, and had just entered upon a
small green glade, when I perceived, lying at full
length upon the sand, a large lion, who almost immediately
sprang up, and at the same moment
received a bullet from my rifle as he bounded
beneath a bush and crouched among some withered
grass. I was unloaded, when to my astonishment,
Taher Noor immediately drew his sword, and, with
his shield in his left hand, he advanced boldly towards
the wounded lion. I reloaded as quickly as possible,
just as this reckless Hamran had arrived within
springing distance of the lion, who positively slunk
away and declined the fight; retreating into the
thick thorns, it disappeared before I could obtain a
shot. Taher Noor explained, that his object in
advancing towards the lion was to attract its atten-
.-fen I he had expected that it would have remained
in a crouching position until I should have reloaded;
but he ran the extreme risk of a charge, in which
case he would have fared badly with simple sword
and shield. Being close to the tent, I returned, and,
in addition to my single barrelled rifle, I took my
two Reilly No. 10, with Hassan and Hadji Ali.
In company with Taher Noor we searched throughout
the bushes for the wounded lion, but without
success. I now determined to make a cast, hoping
that we might succeed in starting some other animal
that would give us a better chance. The ground
was sandy but firm, therefore we made no sound
in walking, and, as the forest was bounded upon
two sides by the river, and’ separated from the main
land by a ravine; the fire that had cleared the
country of grass had spared this portion, which was
an asylum for all kinds of game, as it afforded
pasturage and cover/ We had not continued our
stroll for five minutes beyond the spot lately occupied
by the lion, when we suddenly came upon two bull
buffaloes, who were lying beneath a thick bush on
the edge of a small glade: they sprang up as we
arrived, and started off. I made a quick shot as
they galloped across the narrow space, and dropped
one apparently dead with a Reilly No. 10. My
Tokrooris were just preparing to run in and cut
the throat, as good Mussulmans, when the buffalo,
that was not twenty yards distant, suddenly sprang