THE TIGER. :m 



their trees, and numerous were the skirmishes and 

 reprisals I watched between them. At last, on cominor 

 in from a short stroll one morning, I found tlie top 

 of my tent had been the scene of a pitched battle 

 between the entire forces of each party, multitudes on 

 each side having been killed and wounded. Their 

 telegrams to head-quarters in the tops of the trees 

 must have much resembled those of the French and 

 Prussians, for both sides seemed to claim the victory, 

 and each was busily engaged in carrying off the 

 fallen of the other side, perhaps with a view to 

 provender in case of a siege ! There were far more of 

 the black ones, however, killed than of the red. The 

 latter are most unflinching and venomous little devils, 

 and prefer to leave their heads and shoulders sticking 

 where they have bitten rather than loose their hold. 1 

 shall never fur^^et disturbino; a nest of these red ants 

 in an overhanging tree when hot on the fresh foot- 

 prints of a tiger. In an instant the elephant, howdah, 

 and myself were covered with a multitude of the 

 creatures rearing themselves on end and watchinof for 

 a tender place in which to plunge their nippers. jS'o 

 philosophy — not even in the hot pursuit of a tiger — 

 could stand this ; and everything was forgotten in a 

 wild rush to the nearest water, where half an hour 

 was lost in clearing ourselves and the half-maddened 

 elephant of the tormentors, and in picking out the 

 fangs they had left behind. 



A few days of a lazy existence in this microcosm 

 of a grove passed not unpleasantly after a spell of 

 hard work in the pitiless hot blasts outside ; but wlicn 

 the Lalla brought in news of families of tigers waitmg 

 to be hunted in the surrounding river-beds I began to 

 chafe ; and when I heard from a neighbouring police 



