44 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



of the monsoon rains. Food was plentiful and easily 

 obtained herds of cattle were driven to pasture in his 

 very haunts climate was pleasant ; caves and overhang- 

 ing banks afforded shelter from the rain and insect pests. 

 Meanwhile his coat grew darker red and purer white, and 

 assumed a closer texture. And when November began 

 to lend its chill snap to the air he was in full rich coat a 

 perfect picture of lithe young beauty. His clear tawny 

 hide shone with high condition, and was banded with 

 glossiest jet. His young teeth gleamed sharp and white 

 in their setting of healthy red. And the snowy white of 

 ruff, chin, eye-spaces, and under parts set off an already 

 extremely handsome tout ensemble. 



It would not be difficult to paint in the life story of our 

 tiger in ultra-lurid tints to make him into a dreaded 

 man-eater, a ravening monster, the terror of a countryside 

 nor to lead him through a hideous career of crime to 

 the most thrilling and gory climax ; and this indeed with- 

 out in the least drawing on imagination, for such things 

 are often too literally true. But they are the exception ; 

 and in these chronicles, which are based on the writer's 

 own personal experience, for most of which he vouches as 

 an actual eye-witness, and which aim rather at portraying 

 the ordinary everyday habits and incidental life of the 

 jungle-king usually one of retirement and inoffensive 

 monotony they have no place. 



Of the tiger's life in his native wilds we have already 

 had glimpses sufficient to carry us in imagination over 

 the years of his youth and through the regularly succeed- 

 ing seasons of the Indian year, up to the period of his 

 prime. The life of the jungle and its denizens runs its 

 course full of incident and colour, tragedy and romance, 

 it is true ; but with the ever-recurring refrain of unalter- 

 able savage Nature. And that of the tiger is no excep- 

 tion. He follows the seasons hot, cold, and wet 

 wandering on lengthy rounds or tied to locality at their 



