18 INDIAN BIG GAME 



yet shown himself. From the patch where he 

 was now halted a little game-track a couple of 

 feet wide with high grass on each side of it ran 

 down to the kill. The heavy breathing continued 

 for nearly half an hour ; then it ceased and a 

 silent form crept down the track, seeming to 

 fill it. 



On reaching the kill, the tiger, who had 

 throughout evidently been suspicious of the 

 machan, stood with his forefeet on the kill at a 

 distance of some six yards from me with his 

 beautiful solemn head staring up in the full 

 moonlight, and his chest showing up very white. 



After a long look he was satisfied and turned 

 to eat ; and I shot him through the back with the 

 •470. He gave no sound but galloped off. 



I went home on the elephant. It was useless 

 to look in the moonlight. My wife and I retrieved 

 him early the following morning lying dead fifty 

 yards away. He was a particularly fine big 

 specimen of a northern cold weather tiger with a 

 throat ruff like that of a maned lion. 



I have never sat so still for so long before, and 

 I could never have done so cross-legged. C. had 

 insisted on my taking a basket stool, which made 

 all the difference. 



The certainty that this animal was close and 

 meant to come on to his kill, and the finale in the 

 bright moonlight made this an evening to be 

 remembered. 



The details of the attack of this tiger when he 

 killed were clearly shown in the firm sand of the 

 nullah. The first strolling pug-marks, the halt 

 and pause when he saw the buffalo, the long steps 



