116 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



There was absolutely nothing alive in that inviting nullah. I 

 had walked Moolah Bux slowly along, looking down from the 

 margin of the ravine, and upon arrival at Berry's perch I took him 

 up behind me in the rear compartment of the howdah. I felt 

 almost sure that, although we had drawn a blank up to the present 

 time, the tigress would be lying somewhere among the numerous 

 deep but narrow nullahs which drained into the main channel that 

 we had just examined. We therefore determined to leave all the 

 men seated upon a knoll on the highest ground, while we should 

 try the various nullahs upon Moolah Bux; as he could walk slowly 

 along the margin so close to the edge that we should be able to 

 look down into the bottom of each ravine, and in the parched state 

 of vegetation nothing could escape our view. 



The natives were well satisfied with this arrangement, and they 

 took their seats upon a grassy hill, which afforded a position from 

 which they could watch our movements. 



Moolah Bux commenced his stately march, walking so close to 

 the hard edge of the deep nullahs that I was rather anxious lest 

 the bank should suddenly give way. The instinct of an elephant 

 is extraordinary in the selection of firm ground. Although it 

 appeared dangerous to me, Moolah Bux was perfectly satisfied that 

 the ground would bear his weight, and he continued his risky march, 

 both up and down a number of those monotonous ravines which 

 scored the slopes in all directions, but without success. 



The sun was like fire, and it was difficult to grasp the barrel of 

 the rifle. It was past noon, and we had been working unceasingly 

 since 6 A.M. The bottoms of the ravines were filled some feet in 

 depth with dry leaves, which had fallen from the trees (now 

 naked) which fringed the banks, therefore we could have seen a 

 cat had she been lying either in the nullah or upon the barren 

 sides. "There is no tigress here," said Berry; "this is one of 

 those sly brutes, that kills and eats, but does not remain near her 

 kill ; she is probably a couple of miles away while we are looking 

 for her in these coverless nullahs." 



These words were hardly uttered, when we suddenly heard a 

 rushing sound like a strong wind, which seemed to disturb the 

 dried leaves in the deep bottom somewhere in our front. At first 

 I could hardly understand the cause, but in a few seconds a large 

 tigress sprang up the bank, and appeared about 20 paces in our 

 front. Without a moment's hesitation she uttered several short 

 roars, and upon the beautifully clean ground she bounded forward 

 in full charge straight for Moolah Bux. I never saw a more grand 

 but unprovoked attack. 



