JUNGLE LORE 211 



Tracking. The first golden rule when tracking dangerous 

 game is to be suitably armed. If not so armed, not only does 

 one take a foolish risk oneself but imperils the hves of one's 

 attendants. The sportsman should have two rifles with 

 him, of which one at least should be of heavy calibre — such 

 as a -500 or -577 cordite express. The second will probably 

 be one of the hghter calibres, of which there are now numerous 

 different makes. The second rule is to remember that 

 the safety of the men who accompany one is the first con- 

 sideration. You are out for pleasure. They are out on 

 duty or to earn their daily bread. In the case of a wounded 

 tiger or leopard, whether you proceed to track it on foot or 

 mounted on an elephant, none of your attendants, the 

 trackers and so forth, should remain exposed in such a 

 position as to be uncovered by a rifle. If an elephant is 

 procurable, once the trackers have located the patch of 

 jungle — it will often be very dense — in which the tiger has 

 taken up his position all the men who cannot be taken up on 

 to the elephant should be sent up into trees before the ele- 

 phant advances. In the Central Provinces and elsewhere, 

 where, in the absence of elephants, one tracks up the 

 wounded animals on foot, no precaution and trouble are 

 too great to reduce to a minimum all risk to the men accom- 

 panying one, whose only weapons will probably be a little 

 axe, bow and arrow, or antiquated musket. To have a man 

 who comes out to assist you, whether for the pure love of 

 adventure or merely to earn a wage, mutilated or killed, is, 

 if due to negligence on the part of the sportsman, unpardon- 

 able. Accidents will occur of course. In sport it is im- 

 practicable to eliminate them altogether. But they should 

 come under that category ; the sportsman can then be 

 commiserated on his bad luck. 



I have often been asked " What will a tiger do when he 

 is wounded ? " My only answer is " I do not know." He 

 may charge or he may run away ; but usually, not invariably, 

 he will charge in the direction he is facing. Only if he is a 

 cur will he turn sharp round. So do not fire at his head if 

 you meet him face to face on a path. Stand steady and 

 stare him out but do not fire. 



I have already discussed bison tracking. Unless suitably 

 armed one has little chance of bagging bison. There are 

 other points, however, connected with this sport. It 

 necessitates absolute physical fitness. This can only be 



