TIGERLAND 



instance, any of the tusker elephants amongst the line of 

 howdahs going suddenly mad or "must" as this con- 

 dition in a male elephant is called which occasionally 

 happens during a shoot. 



Again, there is always the possible danger of an en- 

 counter with wild elephants or, worse still, a solitary bull 

 or " rogue elephant," than which there is no more dangerous 

 animal in nature's great menagerie the forests of Bengal. 



Driven out of a band by the other bulls for misconduct, 

 it roams about alone, brooding over its expulsion and, if 

 encountered in the jungle, will attack any male elephant 

 there may be in the line or amongst the " howdahs," and 

 being generally a powerful beast with tusks can do con- 

 siderable damage before it is driven off or shot. 



On the whole, therefore, the pursuit of big game in 

 India would, as a matter of fact, be far safer on foot. 

 Unfortunately the Indian jungles do not as a rule lend 

 themselves to this form of sport, being generally too dense 

 and high. It is true the " guns " are sometimes placed on 

 trees or platforms, called " maichans," but the immobility 

 of such a position is a serious drawback, as a wounded 

 animal cannot then be followed up at once and thus is 

 occasionally lost. 



Hence, such a position, though practically quite safe, 

 does not commend itself to true sportsmen, the majority 

 of whom would prefer to encounter any of the possible 

 risks described than run any chance of losing an animal they 

 have wounded. 



6 



