DEER-STALKING IN INDIA

Te Aroha News, Volume VII, Issue 452, 8 March 1890, Page 3

DEER-STALKING IN INDIA

After much labour I had got within range of a small stag, and was just going to fire at it when, lo ! a stag looking as black as a ‘peathag,’ and carrying a huge pile of antlers emerges slowly and hesitatingly' from the wood. How my heart thumps against my fibs as the much coveted black stag stands before us within a hundred yards ! There is no time to wait for my sudden excitement to abate, as the small beast has fed up very close bo us, and the light evening wind is capricious. With trembling hands I slowly lift the rifle over the brackens, but it wobbles so ranch, as I try to cover the big fellow's shoulder, that I have to lower' it. Again it is raised, and, holding my breath, I press the trigger. Off dashes the small beast down the hill; but the big one, although hard hit, merely gives a start, trots forward a few steps, and again stops, his grand horns thrown proudly back’, as he quickly jerks hi 3 uplifted head round from side to side, as if at a loss as to what oourse he should pursue. ‘Ne lugga!’ (missed him), whispers Ramzan, testily followed by a rapid succession of his exasperating interjections of disappointment, But he is wrong again. Before the stag, has time to make up his mind, another bullet —of good solid lead this time—smashes his shoulder. Still, strange to say, he scarcely moves. Gradually, however, his startled demeanour becomes more listless, and his proud head begins slowly to droop. But he is too far out to make sure of finishing him with a shot from the smooth-bore, which would most probably only send him back into the thick forest, where, although so badly wounded, we might as likely as not lose him ; so I contrive to reload the rifle, fortunately without his detecting me. Once more it is raised 5 this time the bullet, passing through him breaks the other shoulder, and brings him down on his chest. As we stand up and move towards him the terrified brute, in his endeavours to escape, actually shoves himself along with his hind legs down the steep grassy declivity before him. At the bottom of this we find him lying, panting and glaring wildly at us, as if quit e prepared to make use of his ponderous horns, which he tosses in such a menacing manner as to make the orthodox rites rat her difficult to perform. —Hindu-Koh by MajorGeneral Macintyre.