A COUPLE OF TIGERS 127 



I had constituted Madha the chief tracker, 

 he being the eldest of the three Sholagas, and he 

 confessed after reaching the jungle that he had 

 got off the right track, as the pug mark impressed 

 on the leaves was evidently that of a night prowl. 

 Just before entering the jungle three of the men 

 who were scattered below Madha and me signed 

 that they heard sounds of an animal moving off 

 in the leaves, but we could see nothing. I knew 

 this little bit of jungle well, as in past years I had 

 bagged several panther therein ; it only extended 

 a short way up, succeeded by open grass land to 

 the ridge of the hill. We proceeded along the 

 right-hand side of the cover to the top, where I 

 sat down to drink from a cool rivulet. We then 

 descended the left side, intending to return to 

 where we had last seen blood, but there was no 

 need to go so far, as we almost immediately came 

 on the big impress where the tiger had lain up, 

 and a quantity of blood, and what was more 

 to the point, he had vomited up a considerable 

 quantity of beef from the night's meal, showing 

 how sick he was. Blood was flowing more freely, 

 and we followed it from the jungle into the lemon 

 grass again. Within a few yards he had lain 

 down again, until aroused by our coming on his 

 trail, so realizing the risks we ran, I ordered 

 Madha to climb a tree every few yards, from 

 whence he could see if the way was clear for 

 moving on. 



The value of this manoeuvre quickly showed 

 itself, as before half a dozen trees had been 

 climbed, Madha signalled from above that he 

 heard the tiger. We were at that moment close 



