THE TIGER. 293 



threshold of my subject — discoursing of the preliminary 

 exploration of the tiger's haunts. I have little more to 

 say on that matter, however, the sum of it all being that 

 every information regarding the tiger's country, the 

 route he usually takes from one haunt to another, the 

 points where he may be most easily intercepted or come 

 upon unawares, good points for scouts, etc., must be 

 obtained. Places must also be fixed on for tying out 

 baits for him at night. He must be induced, if possible, 

 to kill a buffalo or an ox so tied out ; and it must be in 

 such a position that he can be easily tracked from there 

 to one of his usual haunts. 



It may seem cruel thus to bait for a tiger with a live 

 animal, but there is no doubt that the death of a ti2:er 

 saves much more suffering than is caused to the single 

 animal sacrificed to effect it. A natural kill will not do 

 so well for many reasons. It will probably not be 

 discovered in time to hunt the next day, and the day 

 after it would be useless. Farther, it would seldom be 

 conveniently situated with respect to some haunt of the 

 tiger favourable for finding him in, and the whole day 

 might be lost in trying to find him in wrong places. In 

 fine, experience shows that no bag can ever be made 

 worth speaking of without tying out baits. I usually 

 purchased at the commencement of the season a dozen or 

 fifteen half-grown buffaloes, these being the cheapest as 

 well as the most readily killed by tigers. A thin old 

 brute of an ox, or a tough fidl-grown buffalo, a well-fed 

 tiger will scorn to touch, and often in the morning his 

 footprints will be found all round such a bait, which he 

 has come and smelt, and (metaphorically) poked in the 

 ribs, and left untouched. But a tender juicy young bufi' 

 of about three and a half feet high would tempt the 

 most hlas6 of tigers to a meal. The cowherds being 



