204 BOMBAY NATURAL HISTORY SOCIETY. 



people in the neighbourhood, and that every villager for miles 

 round, in number nearly 500, turned out to assist as beaters. This 

 was in the State of Rewa, a few years back one of the best tiger 

 countries in India, where tig'ers are always ready for visitors of dis- 

 tinction in a State preserve specially kept for tigers and other large 

 game. Through the kindness of Major Barr, the then Political 

 Agent, I was asked to form one of the usual hot weather party who 

 made an annual campaign against the tigers. We shot in royal 

 style : we had State elephants, shikaris, sowars and all the 

 assistance we required. All we had to do was to go to the places 

 fixed for us by the head shikari when we got Icubber, and if 

 we did wound a beast, we had only to get on two of the best 

 elephants in India and follow up. Following up a wounded, 

 tiger on an elephant I must say is a royal form of sport. It is a 

 grand thing to see a wounded and irate tiger absolutely at your mercy 

 and without incurring any risk to yourself. You have all the fun 

 and none of the danger one experiences in going after a beast on 

 foot. I was once so excited in watching a wounded tiger charging 

 from a long distance at my elephant, that I invoked the anger of 

 the mahout for not firing soon enough. I forgot for the moment 

 that if any one was in danger it was him and. not me in the howdah. 

 To return to the man-eater. Soon after the beat commenced I heard 

 the tiger coming up towards my tree, and it remained within about 

 sixty yards of me for some time, giving low growls. I could not, 

 however, manage to see him. However, a few minutes afterwards, 

 I saw him lying prone on the open side of a hill opposite. I would 

 not fire at first, thinking he might go to another gun ; but after 

 some time I very wrongly determined to fire at him, believing he 

 was bound to go out at the side of the beat and not in sight of the 

 other guns. 1 afterwards learnt there were stops everywhere, and 

 the tiger was bound to come close to one of the guns. I computed 

 he was 200 yards off, and sighted my rifle accordingly. I missed 

 him. We afterwards all agreed he was only 100 yards off, which 

 gave me a good and valid excuse for the miss. The tiger then 

 bolted into a patch of jungle, and the beaters all got up trees 

 terribly frightened. Two of our party got on elephants, and 

 he passed within twenty yards of them, giving each of them a 

 right and left easy shot. All the shots missed him, and the tiger 

 went away in sight of every one up another hill. The beaters 

 said he was a regular " shaitau," and no bullet could hurt him. I 



