2O Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



boy was in a blue funk, but thought that of two evils, 

 being with an armed sahib on an elevation was 

 better than walking alone through the forest. We 

 had a young moon about ten, and about eleven, or 

 perhaps nearer twelve, we heard a tell-tale pit-a-pat, 

 and a tiger appeared from one direction and another 

 from the opposite. The two beauties commenced to 

 snarl at each other, so we reserved our fire, wishing to 

 see the upshot. The duo gradually approached each 

 other with manes erect and lips drawn back, exposing 

 formidable ivories, when a third, evidently a female, 

 showed herself on the scene and commenced to make a 

 meal of the untouched ox which was opposite B's 

 machan. When the lady commenced to satisfy her 

 appetite the males sprung at one another, and whilst 

 struggling A and I fired four barrels. B also fired two 

 at the tigress. The belligerents, however, would not 

 separate, and whilst struggling got right under B's 

 machan. At the same instant, the wounded tigress 

 looked up, saw B, and with a roar sprang at him, 

 lighting on the edge of his hiding-place. The next 

 second there was a crash, a cloud of dust, and an awful 

 cry. There was not much light, for the moon was then 

 obscured behind a fleeting cloud, but we jumped off 

 our machan. and ran to the assistance of our comrade. 

 Nothing could we see of him. In vain we called, beg- 

 ging for a reply. A heap of debris only lay under 

 where his perch had been. All this did not take 

 up more than a minute, when we heard a shot, and 

 hurrying towards the report and falling over creepers 

 and torn with thorns, we came upon the body of our 

 comrade lying under that of the tigress. Dragging 

 the beast off we found B insensible, but alive, with 



