Tiger Shooting. 29 



unwounded, so I floored the first and sent the second 

 off seriously wounded. Taking the second rifle I 

 followed the retreating animal quickly up, with my 

 shirt tails flying like a bunch of homeward-bound 

 pennants. Nevertheless luck favoured me. 



Then the secret of their pugnaciousness came 

 out : they had two cubs with them, of the size of 

 spaniels. These interesting "varmints" we secured 

 after a severe struggle, for they bit and scratched 

 like demons. 



At my camp I found a " chit " from my wife begging 

 me to return at once, as there were numerous official 

 letters with "immediate" on them, waiting for me. 

 On receipt of it I am afraid my language was 

 more forcible than polite, but donning some fresh 

 raiment, leaving the shikarie to collect the pelts, I 

 walked down the hill, got into my boat, and was back 

 at Eajahmundry by three. The " immediate " letters 

 were of no account, so answering them briefly and 

 not over-politely, I consigned all fussy commandants 

 arid their foolish adjutants to Hades and once more 

 resigned myself to the humdrum existence of detach- 

 ment life. 



Some years before this occurrence I had been 

 surveying in the Yomahs, Burmah, and having 

 completed that season's work I was hurrying back 

 so as to have a few days' shooting at Myetchin, 

 before the rains set in. My servants and elephants 

 went along cleared paths, but hearing jungle fowl 

 crowing and my shikarie elephant being sick, Mong-Oo 

 (Mr. Egg) and I walked down the long slope which 

 stretched from the foot of the hills to the plain below. 

 The country was wonderfully free from that curse of 



