ROUND THE CAMP FIRE 345 



sides. In fact they live much as do bison, that is to say, 

 in the hot season ; at other times of year their habits 

 seem even more elastic. One of the best shikaris I knew 

 in those parts gave it as his opinion that "our tigers" 

 should be beaten for exactly as in the case of sambar. 

 Another useful "tip" to remember is never to beat a 

 tiger back over his " kill " ; which sounds obvious, but is 

 not always borne in mind. Again, especially in hills, 

 felines are much given to using the jungle paths, even 

 in open grass, especially if ascending. The knowledge of 

 local habits of game will thus often enable one to encom- 

 pass an apparently hopelessly large extent of thick jungle 

 with but a few men. For this reason a good understanding 

 is necessary with the jungle men, who " know the ropes," 

 and who, even in the most hopeless-looking cases, are often 

 able to give information of the greatest value. 



" Sitting up " for felines is a method of shooting that is 

 apparently not very well understood. It is looked down 

 on by many sportsmen as a sort of poaching dodge, 

 especially by the kind of man who likes to do his shooting 

 in company and " style," with a big camp and lots of fun 

 and good drink. The result is that some men avoid it, or, if 

 they try it, avoid writing on the subject. Others, on the 

 contrary, are able to see the true sporting side of it Sander- 

 son for one, a man whose views on shikar^ as expressed in 

 his Thirteen Years among the Wild Beasts, seem to be 

 among the most accurate and reliable of all Indian sports- 

 men who have put pen to paper. The fact is that, gener- 

 ally speaking, beating is the method of the party, " sitting 

 up" that of the solitary hunter; and the votaries of each 

 form of sport must please themselves. 



" Sitting up " over " kills " of felines for the marauder's 

 return is often apparently looked on as a superlatively 

 easy form of shooting, perhaps because sometimes success- 

 fully indulged in by mere tyros. It is also believed to 

 involve to too great an extent the element of "luck." 



