ir THE ELEPHANT 37 



Our guide soon pointed to the spot where his cow had been 

 dragged by the tiger into this formidable covert. There was no 

 mistake about the marks, and the immense tracks in the soft 

 ground proved the size and sex of the destroyer. 



Nobody questioned the fact of the tiger being at home, and the 

 only question was " how to beat him out." The jungle was quite 

 a mile in length without a break in its terrible density ; it was 

 about half a mile in width, bounded upon one side by the cleared 

 level ground in cultivation, and on the other by the high grass 

 jungle we had left, but this had been partially scorched along the 

 edge in the attempts to burn. 



A good look-out would have spied any animal at a hundred 

 and fifty yards had it attempted to leave the jungle. 



As the country was a dead level, it was difficult to forecast the 

 retreat of a tiger when driven from such a thicket, and it was a 

 serious question whether it would be possible to dislodge him. 



Whenever you commence a drive, the first consideration should 

 be, "If the animal is there, where did it come from?" as it will 

 in all probability attempt to retreat to that same locality. There 

 was no possibility of guessing the truth in such a country of dense 

 grass, and with numerous islands of the same character throughout 

 this portion of the Brahmaputra, but there was one advantage in 

 the fact that one side was secure, as the tiger would never break 

 covert upon the cultivated land; there remained the opposite 

 side, which would require strict watching, as he would probably 

 endeavour to slink away through the high grass to some distant 

 and favourite retreat. 



I therefore determined to take my stand at the end of the thick 

 jungle which we had passed upon arrival, at the corner where it 

 joined the parched grass that had been fire-scorched, and near the 

 spot where the cow had been dragged in. I accordingly sent the 

 elephants round to commence the drive about two hundred yards 

 distant, entering from the cultivated side and driving towards me, 

 as I concluded the tiger in such massive jungle would not be far 

 from the dead body. At the same time, I sent two scouting 

 elephants to occupy positions outside the jungle on the high grass 

 side, within sight of myself; I being posted on my elephant at the 

 corner, so that I commanded two views the end, and the grass 

 side. 



My signal, a loud whistle, having been given, the line of 

 elephants advanced towards my position. The crashing of so 

 many huge beasts through the dense crisp herbage sounded in the 

 distance like a strong wind, varied now and then by the tearing 



