62 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



But my own escape must have been a narrow one, 

 for whilst the male was making for the girls, the female 

 must have been stalking me, and I attribute her 

 failure, to my having fired just as she was about to 

 take her spring. The report doubtless startled her, 

 and as I was enveloped in the smoke, she probably 

 lost sight of me and miscalculating the distance, 

 sprang over instead of on to me, and so the -impetus 

 carried her down hill, where she probably saw the 

 dead body of her mate, when she made for the girls 

 determined on revenge. Her subsequent behaviour 

 proved how utterly reckless she was of her own life 

 provided she could avenge the death of her lord and 

 master. There was no excuse for their homicidal 

 propensities, for' both were young and in the full 

 vigour of their strength. The male measured nine 

 feet eight inches, and the female nine feet one 

 inch. 



It took us some time to deprive them of their 

 pelts, and by the time they were skinned it was too 

 late for me to go on, so taking six men with me, 

 carrying the heads and skins, and a goodly supply of 

 sambur meat, I returned to my hut on the Thouk-y- 

 ghat. The other villagers took the remainder of the 

 venison and went home. The girls asked to be 

 allowed to accompany us, as they were too terrified 

 to travel alone, so giving up my cabin to them, I 

 slept in my boat, and the next day took them down 

 in it to the limekilns. I found that one of my 

 head quarrymen was the father of the eldest lass, who 

 had so pluckily and at so critical a moment thrown 

 her " thamin " over the tiger's head. All the others had 



