XVI SITTING UP 197 



I used to think I could command all sides. I 

 sat up one day on the ground in a bush, in the 

 angle made by an open glade which ran from the 

 outskirts of a small wood. At the back of the 

 bush grew an overhanging tree. I saw a panther 

 come out at the upper narrow end of the glade. 

 It disappeared, but I soon heard it " sawing " 

 away somewhere quite close. None of my little 

 peep-holes showed anything, and I was puzzled 

 until I looked up and saw the panther on a 

 branch straight above me. She was standing 

 on the bough " sawing," waving her tail and 

 watching some goats that were feeding in the 

 open. I fired with a -577, but heard no fall. 

 However, we got blood tracks, and found her 

 dead after a tedious crawl on hands and knees 

 through thorns and scrub. So much for thinking 

 I commanded all approaches. 



When you have finished your machan, put a 

 man in it in a firing position. Walk round and 

 see if you can detect him from the tiger's point 

 of view. Take no unshod man with you. 



I find it takes from three to four hours to build 

 a machan, with five men. 



11. Electric Light. — I look on a good electric 

 light as very necessary for successful sitting up. 

 It enables one to be independent of the moon, 

 and to get further from the kill than if the moon 

 alone is relied on. I never trust the moon alone, 

 and always supplement it with the light ; more- 

 over, in the moonlight the electric light is less 

 noticed. 



I am not going to describe my own light which 

 I made on a jungle trip from a good electric 



