272 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



parations. Often be misses when lie does shoot, the 

 jungle-king being somewhat trying to the nerves ; and 

 if he kills one tiger in the course of the year he con- 

 siders himself lucky. His weapon is a long matchlock, 

 which he loads with six "fingers" of powder and two 

 bullets. These fly a little apart, and if they hit are 

 usually the death of the tiger. His method of shooting 

 is sometimes imitated by lazy European sportsmen. 



Another way of hunting ordinary tigers is to beat 

 them out of their midday retreat with a strong gang 

 of beaters, supplied with drums, fireworks, etc., the 

 guns themselves being posted at likely spots ahead. 

 This plan is often successful, when the operations are 

 directed by some one who knows the ground. Frequently, 

 however, the tiger is not found at all, and moreover he 

 very commonly manages to escape at the sides, or break 

 back through the beat, without coming up to the guns 

 at all. It has also the disadvantage of exposing the 

 beaters to much danger ; and there are few who shoot 

 in this fashion who have not had more than one beater 

 killed before them. To stalk in on a tiofer in his retreat 

 on foot is generally impracticable, as a man commands 

 so little of a view in thick cover that he rarely sees the 

 tiger in time for a shot. In some places, however, 

 where tigers lie in rocky places inaccessible to elephants, 

 this is the only way to do ; and a very certain one it 

 then is, there being generally little cover and plenty of 

 commanding elevations whence to see and shoot. The 

 best way of hunting the tiger is undoubtedly that 

 usually adopted in Central India — namely to bring in 

 the aid of the trained elephant, and follow and shoot 

 him in his midday retreat. Any one who thinks he has 

 only got to mount himself on the back of an elephant. 



