BEAR, BISON, AND SAMBHUR 99 



The elevation of my rifle to the place where the 

 branch was cut was in direct line with the middle 

 of the tiger, and at least a foot to 18 inches above 

 where my bullet had actually hit the ground. 

 We then followed up to where the tiger had 

 disappeared into the bamboo, and found again 

 the Sholaga had been correct, as undoubtedly, 

 from the blood, my left barrel had got home 

 somewhere, but after missing such an easy 

 standing shot, I had very little hope of having 

 hit a vital spot when the animal was in headlong 

 flight. It was almost dark anyway, and more than 

 ever so in the dense bamboo cover, so we marked 

 the place, determined to follow up the next day. 



In the morning we took up the tracks and 

 came to where the wounded tiger had crossed 

 the river, which was quite shallow. On the 

 opposite bank it had lain down where we found 

 the bamboo leaves stained with blood, but from 

 there we could find no further trace, and event- 

 ually had to give the search up. 



I sailed for home in May and had a great good 

 time of it, though it took a long while to rub the 

 strangeness off, as I had not been home for thirteen 

 years. 



My great ambition while in England was to get 

 a couple of good rifles built to me, one being a 

 much-cherished -577 D.B. Magnum, firing 7 drams 

 of powder — as I had been fully convinced by Sir 

 Samuel Baker's book, that of all weapons a -577 

 Express was the most reliable. I also had a D.B. 

 •303 built to me, which, with my Ubique shot and 

 ball, I reckoned would enable me to hold my own 

 with any game. 



