ROUND THE CAMP FIRE 337 



Bbu, so difficult to apply them to practical uses. Seated 

 in a comfortable chair, well fed, cool, and fit, it is no diffi- 

 cult matter to lay down the law and theorise away ad 

 libitum, collect one's ideas, shuffle them together, and deal 

 out high-sounding and plausible maxims. But events do 

 not occur with such charming regularity or simplicity in the 

 jungle. The nerves are not as they may be in the depths 

 of the armchair. The sportsman is probably tired, 

 incapable of exerting his full strength under a burning and 

 enervating sun. He may have been carrying a heavy rifle 

 many miles on a not too well nourished "inside " ; (how 

 correct the ancients were in placing the focus of man's 

 energies not in his heart, but in his " Little Mary " !), and he 

 may have temporarily lost confidence through a run of 

 " bad luck." It is under just such circumstances that one 

 desires to take up the theorist and dash him and his postu- 

 lates against a stone. 



The first golden rule is " good bundobust" the second 

 "straight shooting with a good weapon," and the third 

 * good bundobust" Without the first it is difficult to ensure 

 the second, while the lack of the second may render the 

 third abortive. But the application of these rules varies. 

 If the shikari is " sitting up " for a feline, good shooting 

 will be largely aided by a " good bundobust" and further 

 action thus made unnecessary. 



If it is a case of a " beat " or " drive," when the sportsman 

 awaits the game which his " beaters " endeavour to send up 

 to his post, the result will depend on the same factors. Of 

 shooting from elephant-back the writer has no experience. 



As it is usually during or after a " beat " or " drive " that 

 accidents with wounded felines occur, let us take such 

 circumstances first of all. 



The stereotyped " tiger beat " is usually a midday affair, 



conducted with a large amount of that noise at which our 



Aryan brethren are such adepts. And for this there is a 



variety of reasons. Should the baits which induce the 



z 



