54 INDIAN BIG GAME chap. 



marches to the station, lest the rains should flood 

 the rivers and stop our camel transport. 



I shot a panther one day, sitting up. Another 

 night I had a blank tiger kill, but watched a bear 

 with some amusement ; and we made a real mess 

 of two tiger. Their ground was some miles from 

 camp : the shikaris were late with the machan, 

 and the tigers spotted me. They came the first 

 night, nibbled, and went before I could fire. 

 After that they played the devil with us. When 

 the machan was empty they killed in daylight : 

 when I was there they never came. Except when 

 we beat for them, they lay up near. They ate 

 four good buffaloes with all the honours of war. 

 More power to them. 



The only action to take in a case like this is 

 to sit up, and go on sitting up, over live buffaloes. 

 I had not time. 



Much grateful mention must be made of my 

 shikaris, for to them was due the success of the 

 shoot. This is the only recent trip on which I 

 have had good shikaris of my own. 



I cannot too strongly urge any one going on 

 a big-game expedition to take with him at least 

 two expert shikaris, no matter what they cost. 

 Such men will repay the expense over and over 

 again. They are to be obtained from Hyderabad 

 and the various other parts of tiger-shooting 

 India. 



Economy and a feeling of fairness seem at 

 first sight to render the employment of local men 

 only, desirable. But this is entirely unsound. 

 Local men have no idea of the essentials of time 

 and space. Their idea of a beat is to put the guns 



