184 INDIAN BIG GAME chap. 



been the subject of acrimonious letters in the 

 Press, some correspondents unfairly contending 

 that they were so framed in order rather to help 

 the man with the elephants at his disposal. 



Personally, though I have shot considerably 

 more in beats than sitting up, I am a strong 

 advocate of the latter, with the proviso that one 

 should not sit up if there is a reasonable chance 

 of beating and circumstances allow of it. 



Provided a good electric light is used, there 

 is no reason to anticipate that more animals will 

 get away wounded from sitting up than from a 

 beat. Indeed the chances are all the other way. 

 On the one hand is a picked careful shot at close 

 range, and on the other, possibly, a shot at any 

 speed, distance, or range. 



The amount of skill needed to produce a tiger 

 on his kill on a fair average of occasions is so 

 considerable that it should relieve this form of 

 sport from any stigma of being unsporting or 

 unfair to these fine beasts. 



Moreover, in the event of a bad shot having 

 been made, there is always the follow-up on foot 

 next day ; a solace denied to the man with 

 elephants. 



A well-known authority on Indian big game 

 states that the odds against shooting an animal 

 by sitting up are at least 100 to 1. 



Throughout this book I have hitherto made no 

 mention of the numbers of animals shot, but I do 

 so now in the case of my own experiences, although 

 they are not remarkable in any way. 



Tiger. — Sat up forty-four full nights ; shot 11. 



