A BISHOP HUNTING THE TIGER. 137 



shake, if he rises before you.' Just at that moment my elephan, 

 stamped again violently. ' There, there,' cried the mohout, 'I saw 

 his head.' A short roar, or rather loud growl followed, and I saw 

 immediately before my elephant's head the motion of some large 

 animal stealing through the grass. I fired as directed, and a 

 moment after, seeing the motion still more plainly, fired the second 

 barrel. Another short growl followed ; the motion was immediately 

 Quickened, and was soon lost in the more distant jungle. Mr. 

 Boulderson said, ' I should not wonder if you hit him that last time ; 

 at any rate we shall drive him out of the cover, and then I will 

 take care of him.' In fact, at that moment the crowd of horse and 

 foot spectators at the jungle side, began to run off in all directions. 

 We went on to the place, but found it was a false alarm ; and, in 

 fact, we had seen all we were to see of him, and went twice more 

 through the jungle in vain. ... 



"I asked Mr. Boulderson on our return, whether tiger-hunting 

 was generally of this kind, which 1 could not help comparing to 

 that chase of bubbles which enables us in England to pursue an 

 otter. In a jungle, he answered, it must always be pretty much 

 the same, inasmuch as, except under very peculiar circumstances, 

 or when a tiger felt himself severely wounded, and was roused tc 

 revenge by despair, his aim was to remain concealed, and to make 

 off" as quietly as possible. It was after he had broken cover, or 

 when he found himself in a situation so as to be fairly at bay, that 

 the serious part of the sport began, in which case he attacked his 

 enemies boldly, and always died fighting. He added, that the lion, 

 though not so large or swift an animal as the tiger, was general Iv 

 stronger and more courageous. Those which have been killed in 

 India, instead of running away when pursued through a jungle, 

 seldom seem to think its cover necessary at all. When they see 

 their enemies approaching, they spring out to meet them, open- 

 mouthed, in the plain, like the boldest of all animals, a mastiff dog. 

 They are thus generally shot with very little trouble ; but if they 

 are missed, or only slightly wounded, they are truly formidable 

 enemies. Though not swift, they leap with vast strength and vio- 

 lence ; and their large heads, immense paws, and the event weight 



