A SHOOT IN AN INDIAN STATE 51 



preceding day's beat and found a shallow cave 

 that had been recently used by tiger. This 

 should have been stopped had we ever dreamt of 

 another tiger being in this beat. 



At 10 A.M., as we were abandoning the follow- 

 up, news reached us of two kills : one of a big 

 village buffalo near The Nullah and another on 

 one of our camp -side tributaries. I sent word 

 to camp for my bedding and some food and drink 

 to be sent to the scene of the kill of the big 

 buffalo ; and then we collected men to beat for 

 the other tiger. While waiting we lay on the 

 river bank. Food and drink were short, and it 

 was mighty hot. We had two beats. The first 

 was a blank, the second held the tiger, who was 

 lying up close to my tree. He roared and broke 

 back, and I never saw him. 



I then hurried off to the big buffalo and found 

 that none of my kit had turned up and no machan 

 had been made. It was after dark before I got 

 things shipshape, and naturally no tiger came, 

 though I heard him grumbling in the neighbour- 

 hood. None but a tiger of the largest size could 

 have killed this buffalo. 



In the morning we found traces of a really 

 big tiger leading into The Nullah, and then we 

 went home, glad to rest and look to skins. 



Next day came news from Ram Huruk of 

 another kill in The Nullah. We beat as before. 

 A red tigress tried to get out over the ridge on my 

 left, but was well turned by a stop. She then 

 crossed my front and halted about a hundred 

 yards away, covered by a tree, with only her head 

 and quarters visible. I aimed in front of her 



