108 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



hod suddenly sprung from a densely wooded nullah and seized a 

 cow that was grazing within a few yards of him. The man 

 shouted in the hope of scaring the tiger, when two buffaloes who 

 were near the spot and were sjiectators of the event at once 

 charged the tiger at full speed, knocked it over by their onset, 

 and followed it as it sprang for safety into the thick bush, thus 

 saving the cow from certain destruction. The cow, badly lacerated 

 about the throat, ran towards its native village, followed by its 

 owner. I lost no time in arriving at the spot, about two miles 

 from camp, and there I found the recent tracks precisely tallying 

 with the description I had received. We organised a drive on the 

 following morning, but the crestfallen tiger had taken the notice 

 to quit, and had retreated from the neighbourhood. 



An example of this kind is sufficient to exhibit the cautious 

 character of the tiger. My shikari, a man of long experience, 

 differed in opinion with the native who had witnessed the attack. 

 This man declared that the tiger must be lying in a dense thicket 

 covering a deep hollow of about 10 acres, to which it had retreated 

 when charged by the two buffaloes ; he advised that we should 

 lose no time, but organise a drive at once, as the tiger, having 

 been frightened by the buffaloes, would probably depart from the 

 locality during the night. 



My shikari argued against this suggestion. He was of opinion 

 that the tiger might not be lying in the hollow, as there was much 

 broken ground and jungle in the immediate neighbourhood, includ- 

 ing many dense and deep nullahs that might have formed a retreat : 

 if the tiger should happen to be within one of those places, it would 

 be outside the drive, and would be frightened away by the noise 

 of the beaters should we drive the hollow, and it would escape 

 unseen. If, on the other hand, the tiger should be lying in any 

 spot within a radius of half a mile, it would be very hungry, as 

 proved by its attack upon the cow during broad daylight, and it 

 would assuredly kill one or both of the baits, and remain with its 

 prey, if we should tie up two young buffaloes that night ; we should 

 then l>e certain to have it within the drive on the following morning. 



This was sound reasoning, and according to rule ; but the native 

 argued that the tiger, having been knocked over and pounded by 

 the buffaloes, wotdd be so cowed that it would decline to attack 

 the young buffaloes that might be secured to trees as baits ; it 

 would, on the contrary, avoid anything in the shape of a buffalo, 

 and if we neglected to drive the jungle at once, we should find a 

 blank upon the following morning. 



The sequel proved that the man was correct, as the buffaloes 



