350 THE HIGHLANDS OF CEXTKAL IXDIA. 



an elevated plateau, as bare as my hand, which a 

 wounded ti2:er would never dare to face. There was no 

 doubt, therefore, that she had stopped in this gully and 

 would fight, so I proceeded to make arrangements for 

 the attack. The first thing done was to send men up 

 the hill, by a circuitous route, to post themselves on 

 trees all round the top of the ravine, as outlooks. This 

 done, I advanced along the nala till I found the blood 

 again, which I followed up slowly, keeping a bright 

 look-out ahead. The ravine was densely covered on 

 both banks by clumps of bamboo jungle, and I had just 

 reached the first of these when up jumped the tigress 

 with a roar, and galloped off as fresh as ever towards 

 the head of the ravine ; I had two snap shots at her, 

 which made her speak still louder, but otherwise had no 

 effect. The people above now shouted out that 

 she had again laid down higher up the nald, among 

 some bamboos half-way up the banks. It would 

 not do to approach her in this position from below, 

 as a charge would probably have resulted in a 

 general roll to the bottom of the ravine ; so, with 

 considerable labour, we climbed up to the table-land, and 

 went round till we were right above her. Here, how- 

 ever, the bank was too steep to admit of a descent ; so, 

 getting a supply of stones into the howdah, I com- 

 menced bombarding the bamboo clumps, and at the 

 third shot the tigress charged out. On she came within 

 twenty paces, when her heart failed her ; she turned 

 sharp ofi" to the left, and I got two pretty fair shots at 

 her, which told loudly, but still she went on as strong 

 as ever. This time she crossed quite over to the opposite 

 side of the ravine, and ascended the bank, as if with the 

 intention of bolting across the open ground. The scouts 

 kept shouting out to me to come round, which I did. 



