38 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



when there was another charge, this time of course 

 by only one beast. It was well riddled but not killed. 

 Fearing some casualty amongst our followers, deeming 

 the beasts mortally wounded, we were for leaving 

 them until the next day. but the blood of the 

 plucky little hill-men was up and they begged us 

 to continue the fight. H., their commandant, was 

 against our going on. He and the brigadier were 

 not on the best of terms, and he feared if a man was 

 killed he would be blamed. But B. and I, seeing how 

 determined the Ghoorkhas were and it is not wise 

 to thwart them when their blood is up begged 

 him to gratify them. We gave the Havildar and 

 two of the best shots our spare rifles, telling them to 

 use them if necessary, and then advanced. The sepoys 

 had silently dropped their laities and drawn their 

 Jcookries (a weapon without which no Ghoorkha will 

 move), and we knew if the beasts were not killed by 

 our bullets, the men would force a settlement with 

 their knives. However, when the brute charged the 

 next time, he was duly rolled over. As the trail went 

 no further we came to the conclusion that one tiger 

 had been left behind, so thus retraced our steps. A 

 Ghoorkha on the extreme left soon spied the tigress 

 wounded by the Havildar, rushed at her in the most 

 insane manner, and gave her a crack wilich laid open 

 her head. She, although all but dead and weak from 

 loss of blood, made a grab at him with her sound 

 paw which tore the sleeve off his arm and left deep 

 marks of her claws in the flesh. It is a wonder that 

 he fared no worse. Thankful that w r e had got off so 

 well, and satisfied with the day's work, we told the 

 men to collect the slain and bring them to the Mess 



