Another Trip to the Park-A Hard Day's Work-Discover a Herd-Death of the
Herd-A Furious Charge-
Caught at Last-The Consequences-A Thorough
Rogue-Another Herd in High Lemon Grass-Bears-A Fight between a Moorman
and a Bear-A Musical Herd-Herd Escape-A Plucky Buck-Death of `Killbuck'
-Good Sport with a Herd-End of the Trip.
ABOUT twelve months elapsed without my pulling a trigger. I had
contented myself with elk-hunting in Newera Ellia and the vicinity, but
in November, 1850, the greyhounds were again in their palanquin, and, ac
companied by my brother V., I was once more in the saddle on my
steady-going old horse Jack, en route for the Park.
It was 5 P.M. on a cool and lovely evening that we halted, and unsaddled
in this beautiful country. Our tents and coolies were far behind, our
horse-keepers were our only attendants, and we fixed upon a spot as the
most eligible site for the tents. A large open park lay before us,
interspersed with trees, and clumps of forest. A clear stream flowed
from some low rocky hills upon our right, and several detached masses of
rock lay scattered irregularly here and there, like the ruins of an old
castle. Large trees grew from the crevices of these rocks, and beneath
their shade we turned our horses loose to graze upon a soft sweet grass,
with which this part of the Park is covered. We had the greyhounds with
us, and a single rifle, but no other guns, as the servants were far
behind. Having given directions to the horse-keepers to point out the
spot for the tents on the arrival of the people, we took a stroll with
the greyhounds to get a deer, as we depended upon this chance for our
dinner.
Just as we were starting, we noticed two large elephants feeding on the
rocky hills within a quarter of a mile of us; but having no guns up,
with the exception of one rifle, we were obliged to postpone the attack,
and, cautioning the horse-keepers to observe silence lest the game
should be alarmed, we left the elephants to their meal, while we struck
off in another direction with the greyhounds. We found a herd of deer
within half a mile of our starting-place; they had just come out from
the forest for the night's feeding; and when I first saw them, they were
barking to each other in a small glade within sixty paces of the jungle.
Dinner depending upon success, I stalked them with the greatest caution.
Taking Killbuck and Lena in the slips I crept from tree to tree without
the slightest noise; I had the wind, and if any dogs could kill a deer
in the difficult position in which the herd stood, these two would do
it. I got within sixty yards of the herd before they observed me, and as
they dashed off towards the jungle, I slipped the straining greyhounds.
A loud cheer to the dogs confused the herd, and they scattered to the
right and left as they gained the forest, the dogs being close up with
them, and Killbuck almost at a buck's throat as he reached the jungle.
Following as well as I could through the dusky jungle, I shortly heard
the cry of a deer, and on arriving at the spot I found Killbuck and Lena
with a buck on the ground. No deer had a chance with this wonderful dog
Killbuck. When he was once slipped, there was no hope for the game
pursued; no matter what the character of the country might be, it was
certain death to the deer. We gralloched the buck, and having fed the
dogs with the offal, we carried him on a pole to the place where we had
left the horses. On arrival, we deposited our heavy burden; and to our
satisfaction, we found all our people had arrived. The tents were
pitched, and the night-fires were already blazing, as daylight had
nearly ceased.
In the course of an hour, we were comfortably seated at our table, with
venison steaks, and chops smoking before us--thanks to the dogs, who
were now soundly sleeping at our feet. During the progress of dinner I
planned the work for the day following. We were now eight miles from
Nielgalla (Blue Rock), the village at which Banda resided, and I ordered
a man to start off at daybreak to tell him that I was in his country,
and to bring old Medima and several other good men (that I knew) to the
tent without delay. I proposed that we should, in the meantime, start at
daylight on the tracks of the two elephants that we had seen upon the
hills, taking Wallace and a few of the best coolies as gun-bearers.
Wallace is a Cochin man, who prides himself upon a mixture of Portuguese
blood. He speaks six different languages fluently, and is without
exception the best interpreter and the most plucky gun-bearer that I
have ever seen. He has accompanied me through so many scenes with
unvarying firmness that I never have the slightest anxiety about my
spare guns if he is there, as he keeps the little troop of gun-bearers
in their places in a most methodical manner.
At break of day on the following morning we were upon the tracks of the
two elephants, but a slight shower during the night had so destroyed
them that we found it was impossible to follow them up. We therefore
determined to examine the country thoroughly for fresh tracks, and we
accordingly passed over many miles of ground, but to little purpose, as
none were to be seen.
We at length discovered fresh traces of a herd in thick thorny jungle,
which was too dense to enter, but marking their position, we determined
to send out watchers on the following day to track them into better
country.
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