A LESSON IN THE "NOBLE ART." 205 



no responsive grunt to denote that the bullet had told ; and 

 although I at once gave chase, the tiger had vanished in the 

 same magical sort of way it had at first appeared. 



This incident may have served to show how necessary it is 

 to be always on the look-out when in the jungle for any- 

 thing that may turn up, as a chance is often got when least 

 expected. 



I was all the more disappointed at having lost such an 

 opportunity when, on reaching camp, some herdsmen told 

 us that this tiger had for a long time haunted the locality 

 where I had seen it, and had killed an incredible number of 

 their cattle. A cattle-lifter of this sort generally prefers 

 taking common cows and bullocks to buffaloes, as a herd 

 of the latter is always ready to resent an attack on one of its 

 community by a tiger, which often comes off second best. A 

 friend of mine, when out shooting in these jungles, came 

 across a Goojur herdsman instructing his buffaloes in the 

 noble art of self-defence. He had ensconced himself up a 

 tree, and was dangling among the herd below him an old 

 tiger skin attached to a rope, which the enraged animals 

 were fiercely attacking. 



Thus ended a short hunting -trip in the Dehra Doon. 

 Although not so successful a one as regards the actual 

 slaying of tigers as others I might have told of, it is per- 

 haps better calculated to afford a fair idea of the general 

 sport that was then to be had in that locality, and also to 

 show what chance work it is finding these cunning and wary 

 brutes in such heavy jungles, unless certain intelligence of 

 their whereabouts near a fresh " kill " has first been obtained. 

 Moreover, my experiences of tiger-shooting are comparatively 

 few, and in thrilling adventure they fall so far short of those 

 which have oftentimes been graphically recounted by more 

 practised hands at this noble sport, that any further nar- 

 ration of them would only be superfluous in a book which is 

 more intended for describing mountain work. 



