252 Wild Beasts 



steps of the monster, now evidently going at a swinging 

 trot. He kept on in the nala for about a mile, and then 

 took to the grass again ; but it was not so long here, and 

 we could make out the trail from the howdah. Presently, 

 however, it led into rough, stony ground, and the tracking 

 became more difficult. He was evidently full of go, and 

 would carry us far ; so I sent back for more trackers, and 

 orders to send a small tent across to a hamlet on the banks 

 of the Ganjal, towards which he seemed to be making. 

 All that day we followed the trail through an exceedingly 

 difficult country, patiently working out print by print, but 

 without having been gratified by a sight of his brindled 

 hide. Several of the local shikaris were admirable trackers, 

 and we carried the line down to within about a mile of the 

 river, where a dense, thorny cover began, through which 

 no one could follow a tiger. 



"We slept that night at the little village, and early next 

 morning made a long cast ahead, proceeding at once to the 

 river, where we soon hit upon the track leading straight 

 down its sandy bed. There were some strong covers re- 

 ported in the river-bed some miles ahead, near the large 

 village of Bhadiigaon, so I sent back to order the tent over 

 there. The track was crossed in this river by several 

 others, but was easily distinguished from all by its superior 

 size. It had also a peculiar drag of the toe of one hind 

 foot, which the people knew and attributed to a wound he 

 had received some months before from a shikari's match- 

 lock. There was thus no doubt that we were behind the 

 man-eater ; and I determined to follow him while I could 

 hold out, and we could keep the trail. It led right into a 



