XH MARRIED AND A RUN OF LUCK 139 



tiger I sent for a cow and tied her up the same 

 evening. I started off the following dawn, the 

 tie-up having been placed on a fire path beside a 

 steep banked stream, which was practically dry 

 at this season. On nearing the spot we could 

 see the cow had been taken, and on halting 

 could distinctly hear the noise of crunching and 

 dragging close by. Hoping to get me a shot the 

 tracker led me into the nullah, and as I went I 

 espied a tiger walking through the bamboo. 

 Pushing my tracker to one side I stole up the 

 bank, and while peering about I suddenly saw 

 the head of a tiger bob up, and then its white 

 chest, evidently taking a good look at me. I 

 took careful aim and fired. " It's down," ex- 

 claimed my man. We went forward to the place 

 but could find nothing, nor any signs of blood on 

 the tracks. I was so mystified that I went back 

 and took aim over again, having directed my man 

 to crouch in the attitude of the tiger. Marking 

 the spot, I walked back to find a bamboo had 

 intercepted my bullet. I was terribly cast down, 

 as I made sure the disturbance would spoil any 

 further chance. 



Anyway I had a chair tied to a tree that rose 

 straight up from the river bed. The kill was in 

 the bamboo on the level of the bank. As a 

 further inducement to tempt Stripes, I tied up a 

 goat below me in the river-bed itself. I sat up 

 very early in the afternoon, and as often happens 

 at this time of the year, a thunder-storm started 

 muttering in the distance, followed by a strong 

 wind which seemed to be blowing direct from me 

 to the kill. However, as the goat was doing her 



