vi THE TIGER 113 



number twenty-one. Before this independent firing was completed 

 we continued our advance, wheeling round our extreme right, and 

 driving the entire morass, moving game, but seeing absolutely 

 nothing. Although the jungles had been burnt, the valley grass 

 was a bright green, as the bottom formed a swamp ; even at this 

 season (April) the ground was splashy beneath the heavy weight 

 of our advancing line. Having drawn a blank since we heard the 

 shots, we now assembled at the spot, where we found a bull 

 buffalo lying dead surrounded by the elephants and four guns. 

 These had enjoyed the fusillade of twenty-one shots before they 

 could extinguish the old bull, who had gallantly turned to bay 

 instead of seeking safety in retreat. It was a glorious example of 

 the inferiority of hollow Express bullets against thick-skinned 

 animals. The buffalo was riddled, and many of the shots were in 

 the right place, one of which behind the shoulder would have been 

 certain death with a solid 650 grains hard bullet, from a -577 

 rifle with 6 drams of powder. The buffalo, finding himself sur- 

 rounded by elephants, had simply stood upon the defensive, with- 

 out himself attacking, but only facing about to confront his 

 numerous enemies. 



We were a very long way from camp ; we therefore retraced 

 our course, and having avoided some dense swamps that were too 

 soft for the elephants, we sought harder ground, shooting several 

 hog-deer on our way, and arriving in camp after sundown, having 

 been working for twelve hours, to very little purpose, considering 

 our powerful equipments. 



Although we had covered a very large area during the day's 

 work, we had seen no tracks of rhinoceros, and so few of buffaloes 

 that we determined to abandon such uninteresting and unprofitable 

 ground ; accordingly we devoted the following day to the churs 

 or islands of the river, where we should expect no heavy game, 

 but we might come across a tiger. 



In driving the grassy islands of the Brahmaputra some persons 

 are contented with the chance of moving tigers by simply forming 

 a line of a quarter of a mile in length with forty elephants, with- 

 out any previous arrangement or preparation. This is wrong. 



To shoot these numerous islands much caution is required, and 

 unless tigers are exceedingly plentiful, the whole day may be fruit- 

 lessly expended in marching and counter-marching under a burning 

 sun, with a long line of elephants, to little purpose. 



There should be a small herd of at least twenty head of cattle 

 under the special charge of four shikaris, and five or six of these 

 poor beasts should be tied up at a distance of a mile apart every 



I 



