3i6 BIG GAME SHOOTING 



First one would take the trail up, then another. I 

 could make nothing of it except where the ground 

 became sandy and soft. For about two hours this 

 went on, when the trail led us to a patch of high 

 grass about half a mile long and varying in width, 

 but convenient for our line of elephants. To make 

 sure, the hunters were sent round to see if any tracks 

 led away from the cover, and we then got on our 

 pads and rode home to breakfast. Every one was 

 keen for a start, so we soon disposed of our 

 meal, and, mounting our pad elephants, which are 

 more comfortable to ride on than howdahs, we set 

 off to our ground. I and another gun were 

 sent off to head the beat, whilst the line formed 

 at the end of the grass jungle where the tiger had 

 entered. 



We took up our position at the far end where the 

 patch finished with thin grass before it merged into 

 the tree jungle. The cover narrowed there, and as 

 the tiger would not face the open (the grass was 

 burned on both sides) until he came quite to the 

 end, we made sure of a good chance at him, if he 

 were not shot by some one in the line before he 

 reached us. 



This wait is the worst part of a tiger-beat. You 

 sit in your howdah with the sun burning fiercely 

 on your back or on your face, flies of all sorts 

 investigate you, get into your nose, eyes, and mouth. 

 At first you are on tiptoe of expectation, but as the 

 weary minutes go on you get stupid and drowsy. 

 All of a sudden your elephant, who is one of the 



