Tiger Shooting. 27 



most lustily. Instantaneously there were responding 

 roars, and whether we were seen or not, a tiger rushed 

 at our tree, apparently with a view of ascending it ! 

 However, the only result of this effort was, that the 

 ladder was knocked down. Taking the second rifle 

 I fired a hurried shot, and slightly wounded the beast, 

 when it took up its quarters in a heavy patch of 

 grass about ten yards from our perch. There I fired 

 five shots at it, but the brute shifted its position 

 each time, and continued to roar and snarl at 

 us. This tiger at the same time kept guard not 

 only on us but over the two coolies. Feeling in 

 my pockets I found I had but two cartridges left, 

 so held out my hand to the shikarie for more, but my 

 disgust and rage may be imagined when I found him 

 minus the bag. What to do I did not know. Only a 

 monkey or a native could descend from our tree with- 

 out the help of the ladder, and to do so under the 

 circumstances would be madness, so there we were 

 imprisoned for an indefinite period, and probably more 

 insane commanding officer's telegrams waiting for 

 immediate replies ! The great red ants also soon 

 found us out, and led us a most lively time. The 

 brute whose back I had broken was only a youngster 

 and he did roar, while his mother responded through- 

 out the entire night. If I had had cartridges I should 

 have kept up fire in the hopes of either killing her or 

 driving her away, but I was obliged to retain the only 

 two I had left for an emergency. Thus passed I think 

 the most wretched period I ever experienced in my life. 

 An hour before daybreak the tigers became silent, so 

 telling the shikarie to break off a dead branch and 

 fling it towards the patch of grass, he did so. An 



