TIGER SHOOTING IN SEONEE 



perhaps an unknown cave ; and is then lost to the sports- 

 man, as nearly happened once to my father-in-law, Colonel 



W , of the Indian Survey Department, and his chief, 



Major O s, who, but for an accidental discovery of the 



carcase, would have lost a tiger they had shot. 



They were out shooting in Seonee, a district once so 

 noted for its tigers, and as being the scene of the adventures 

 described in R. C. Sterndale's famous book. Information 

 was brought to them one May morning by the villagers of a 

 tiger having been marked down in some jungle on a small 

 island, in the bed of the Weingunga River, where he was 

 said to be lying up. 



They had only one elephant out with them, but as he 



was an exceptionally staunch animal, Major O s 



ordered the howdah to be put on him, and accompanied by 

 my father-in-law, who was only a subaltern at the time, 

 and quite inexperienced in sport, they proceeded to the 

 jungle. 



On arriving there, O s, an old shikari, and thoroughly 



acquainted with tigers and their ways, examining the place 

 carefully, found the island, which was surrounded by water 

 on one side and dry shingle on the other, was a mass of 

 jhamin, or wild damson bushes, affording excellent cover 

 for the tiger. The villagers declaring he was still there, 



O s stationed the elephant at the head of the island 



and ordered the men, who had agreed to act as beaters, 

 to beat right through it from the other end. Soon a 

 tremendous din arose, as the men advanced, all shouting 

 loudly, and suddenly the tiger appeared at the edge of the 

 island, but seeing the elephant, as quickly drew back into 



the bushes, though not before O s had time to raise 



his rifle and fire a snap-shot at him. 



The report of the rifle was answered immediately by a 

 loud, angry roar from the tiger, as if protesting against his 

 privacy being disturbed, then came the sound of some heavy 

 animal crashing through the bushes, followed by a tre- 

 mendous splash as if it had plunged into the water. 



The two sportsmen, fully under the impression that the 

 tiger had got away untouched, now descended from the 

 howdah and following his tracks through the jungle, were 

 agreeably surprised to find some blood on the shingle, and 



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