JUNGLE LORE 215 



stances they encounter one another, and when one of the 

 two is in a particularly irascible mood more especially if 

 wounded and maddened by pain. Of course, as we have 

 seen, the species fight amongst themselves, most commonly 

 in the mating season. But this is usual with most animals 

 when two males wish to win the favours of a particular 

 female. I have heard tigers at night, and seen two male 

 leopards fighting for this reason, though unfortunately it 

 was the tail-end of the fight only. But I never had the good 

 fortune to witness a combat of this description between 

 elephants, bison or buffaloes. 



Of far greater interest would it be to be present at an 

 encounter between a tiger and an old boar or irascible bear, 

 or an old bull bison or buffalo. Such combats are veritably 

 the fights of giants. Native shikaris who have witnessed (more 

 often heard them only) such encounters have told me that 

 the noise of the growls, bellows or grunts is prodigious, the 

 ground all round being ploughed up and bespattered with 

 blood. The tiger counts on his activity, and endeavours to 

 get on to the back of his enemy. Bison and buffalo depend 

 chiefly on their horns, trying to pierce and gore their foe, 

 to whom they ever present a wary front, circling with every 

 movement of the tiger trying to take them in rear. The 

 bear exerts himself to get to close quarters, with the 

 object of securing a purchase and hugging the life out of the 

 enemy. The old boar places his faith in his powerful tushes, 

 and trusts to short rushes with the lightning side twist of 

 the head and vicious upward cut of the tush which, if it 

 gets home, will rip up and disembowel the foe. 



Bears and old boars are probably the two animals which 

 are most prone to take on or start a contest of this kind. 



It is probably rare for an old tiger to ever risk such an 

 encounter, save in exceptional circumstances, since with 

 the wisdom and discretion of years he is aware that, 

 even if he comes out victorious, the wounds inevitably 

 received will probably incapacitate him from being able 

 to procure his food. Young males in the pride of their 

 strength and ignorance are the ones who apparently fall 

 victims to their tempers in this fashion. The end of such a 

 fight must depend upon a variety of minute circumstances, 

 but if carried on for any length of time by two determined 

 opponents the result is usually probably the death of both. 



