166 INDIAN BIG GAME 



have ventured to describe as normal, is impos- 

 sible owing to the animal's horns or the position 

 in which it is standing. 



We marched back after this, and I sat up for 

 a kill which had occurred on the march. It 

 was on the edge of the most tremendous tiger 

 and elephant jungle I have ever seen in my life. 

 I long to be there when the grass is burnt. 



I sat up at 3.30 p.m. At 4 o'clock the tigers 

 (there was a brace of them) began speaking, and 

 they called and sparred almost continuously until 

 6.30 P.M. It was then pitch dark. Against all 

 my principles, I had had to drag the kill. At 

 6.45 P.M. one of the tigers came onto the kill 

 and began dragging it. I turned on the light, 

 made out the dim figure of a tiger in long grass, 

 fired, and missed. 



With all modesty, this is the first time I have 

 missed with the rifle at night since having the 

 electric light. The shot was a longish one, and 

 I undoubtedly fired too quickly, fearing a repeti- 

 tion of the experience with the man-eater. 



There was no noise, and nothing to be seen. 

 I spent a sleepless night feeling I had missed ; 

 wondering, and trying to convince myself that I 

 had hit. 



I have put " regrets " at the heading of this 

 chapter. I know no regrets, no punishment 

 equal to that of lying awake all night in a machan 

 after a bad bungle of an easy shot. 



We put buffaloes through the next day, but 

 never found any blood or other indications of a 

 wound. 



Thus I bungled over these three tigers within 



