vi THE TIGER 129 



It would be natural to suppose that the elephants would have 

 become accustomed to the scent of tigers, from their daily occupa- 

 tion, and that their nerves would have been more or less hardened ; 

 but this was not the case; on the contrary, some became more 

 restless, and evinced extreme anxiety when a pig or hog -deer 

 suddenly rushed from almost beneath their feet. This timidity 

 led to a serious accident, which narrowly escaped a fatal ter- 

 mination. 



We had been fruitlessly beating immense tracts of withered 

 grass about 10 feet high, in which were numerous pigs, but no 

 trace of tigers, and at about noon we met some natives who were 

 herding cattle and buffaloes. The presence of this large herd 

 appeared to forbid the chance of finding any tigers in their 

 vicinity, and upon questioning the herdsmen they at once declared 

 that no such animals existed in the immediate neighbourhood ; at 

 the same time they advised us to try fresh ground upon a large 

 island about two miles distant up the stream. 



We crossed several channels, after scrambling with the iisual 

 difficulty down the cliffs, quite 35 feet high, of crumbling alluvial 

 soil, and at length we reached the desired spot, where a quantity 

 of tamarisk filled a slight hollow which led from the river's bed 

 up a steep incline. By this route we ascended, and formed the 

 elephants into line upon our left. The hollow in which my 

 elephant remained ran parallel with the line of march, and about 

 5 feet below. Just as the elephants moved forward, my servant, 

 who was behind me in the howdah, exclaimed, "Tiger, master, 

 tiger ! " and pointed to the left in the high grass a few yards in 

 front of the line of elephants. 



I could see nothing ; neither could my man, but he explained 

 that for an instant only he had caught sight of a long furry tail 

 which he was sure belonged to either a tiger or a leopard. I 

 could always depend upon Michael, therefore I at once halted the 

 line, with the intention of pushing my elephant ahead until I 

 should discover some tolerably clear space among the high grass, 

 in which I could wait for the advance of the beating line. 



At about a quarter of a mile distant there was a spot where 

 the grass had been fired while only half ripened, and although the 

 bottom was burnt, the stems were only scorched, and of that 

 mingled colour, black and yellow, which matches so closely with 

 the striped hide of a tiger. There was no better position to be 

 found ; I therefore halted, and gave the preconcerted signal for a 

 forward movement. 



The line of elephants advanced. I was riding the large tusker 



K 



