ADVANTAGES OF A HEAVY RIFLE 



much amazed to see me standing over a tiger instead and 

 a fine one at that, the animal measuring nine feet eight 

 inches. 



On walking through the covert later, we found he had 

 killed one of the beasts I had been looking for, and had 

 eaten the greater portion. 



The above was seemingly a distinct score for the 

 advocates of light rifles taking a hollow bujlet, but in point 

 of fact this incident was no proof of its efficiency, for had 

 there been tough twigs, or even reeds, intervening between 

 the tiger and myself, the light bullet would probably have 

 been deflected, whereas with a heavier projectile such 

 obstruction would not necessarily have affected its course. 



As an example of this I may quote the following 

 incident. 



I was once following up a wounded tiger, when we 

 suddenly came upon him, crouching behind a clump of 

 bamboos, the tough stems of which partly protected his 

 head and shoulders. In these circumstances to fire at the 

 beast, with any certainty of killing him at once, was 

 extremely problematical. 



However, there was no time to wait for a more favourable 

 opportunity, as from the quick, twitching movement of 

 the tail, I could tell that the tiger was on the point of 

 charging, so, aiming at as much of the head as I could see, 

 I fired, killing him almost instantaneously. 



Subsequent examination showed that the heavy, solid 

 bullet, driven by six drams of powder, crashing through 

 numerous obstructing twigs, had struck him half-way 

 between the nostrils and the eyes. Had it been a lighter, 

 hollow bullet, it would either have been deflected by the 

 twigs, or broken up completely. 



I hardly deserved this tiger, however, for I had missed 

 him badly the day before, though this was possibly due to 

 my being somewhat shaky at the time from repeated attacks 

 of fever, and, moreover, had not quite recovered from 

 the mauling I had received, as described in a previous 

 chapter. In a second beat, however, I had managed to 

 hit him in the ribs, but too far back, and it was only after 

 weary miles of tracking with my men, that we had finally 

 come on to him. 



47 



