BAD LUCK 19 



camp was beautiful. It was in an opening in the 

 heart of the jungle with three fine large mawa- 

 trees which gave us welcome shade. The heat in 

 the Central Province, on the edge of which I was, 

 even in April, is intense, and I again came in for 

 abnormal weather. I believe the thermometer 

 varied from 108 to 116. I was promptly covered 

 with prickly heat ; but I never felt better in my life 

 and thoroughly enjoyed the heat. I sat on the 

 machdn exposed to the full strength of the sun for 

 many hours a day; but, thanks to a spine protector 

 and an enormous sun-helmet, I am none the worse 

 for it. I have had bad luck as regards sport. I 

 ought to have got three tigers. They came nearly 

 within shooting distance, and on each occasion 

 turned round and broke through the beaters. One 

 tigress had three beautiful young cubs and she 

 would have made short work of anyone who stood 

 in her way. The beaters wisely climbed trees and 

 let her pass. The second tiger was coming straight 

 for me, when it was turned by a number of chatter- 

 ing monkeys which swarmed about the trees around 

 me, and made such a noise that the tiger turned 

 and got through the beaters. The third tiger was 

 also coming straight for me, but it was turned by 

 a beater who, unknown to me, had climbed into 

 a tree close beside me, and who had a bad fit of 

 coughing, probably attributable to excitement, 

 just as the tiger was coming. This tiger also broke 

 through the beaters, so that I have not yet added 

 to my Christmas bag. I got one black bear and 

 lost a second, although it was badly wounded. It 

 got into a large cave and no one could go in after 

 it. It would have been too dangerous, as the 



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