126 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



At length the line arrived within 20 yards from the margin 

 of the thick jungle ; here a regular rush took place ; several hog- 

 deer dashed back, but at the same time a tiger bounded forward, 

 and galloj>ed across the open grass -land in the direction of the 

 neighbouring wild-rose covert. The scouts holloaed, waved their 

 puggarees, and then rode after the tiger as hard as they could 

 press their active elephants. 



My steed Thompson had behaved disgracefully, as he had again 

 twisted suddenly round, and was so unsteady that although the 

 tigress was not 10 yards from me I had not the power of firing ; 

 I accordingly relinquished my favourite rifle '577, which I secured 

 in the rack, and took in exchange my handy No. 12 smooth-bore, 

 which only weighed 7 Ibs. With that light weapon I knew I 

 could take a quick flying shot ; the right-hand barrel was loaded 

 with a spherical ball, and the left with If ounce S.S.G. shot and 

 4 drams of powder. To load a cartridge case (Kynoch's brass) 

 with this charge, and a very thick felt wad, it is necessary to fix 

 the wad above the shot with thick gum, otherwise it will not 

 contain the extra quantity. 



Upwards of an hour was passed in driving the second covert, 

 but although we moved the tiger several times, it was impossible 

 to obtain a shot, as the cunning brute, discovering our intentions, 

 was determined not to break into the open near the elephant. At 

 length, finding the impossibility of dislodging it, I put myself in 

 the centre of the line, and left the end of the covert unguarded, 

 so as to invite the tiger to make a dash through the interval to 

 regain the former jungle. 



As we marched along, driving in a compact line, I presently 

 observed the jungle move about 30 yards before me, and I 

 immediately fired into the spot, not in the expectation of hitting an 

 unseen animal, but I concluded that the shot would assist in driving 

 it from the covert. This was successful, as shortly afterwards we 

 heard the shouts of the mahouts on the scouting elephants, who 

 reported that the tiger had gone away at great speed across the 

 intervening ground towards the original retreat. 



We hurried forward, and upon reaching the wild-rose jungle we 

 re-formed the line, and made use of every possible manoeuvre for 

 at least an hour without obtaining a view of the tiger. The 

 elephants appeared confident that their enemy was there, and my 

 men began to think that the shut I had fired into the bush might 

 have wounded it, and that it was probably lying dead beneath 

 some tangled foliage. By this time, through continual advancing 

 and counter- inarching, the jungle was completely trodden into 



