CHAPTER VII 



I HAD always hitherto done my tiger shooting off the backs 

 of elephants, but was beginning to find that there are 

 times when either the nature of the jungle does not admit 

 of this method being successful, or that the animal, if wary, 

 sneaks off into denser and unpenetrable cover before the 

 beat has commenced, as I had reason to believe had 

 happened on one or two occasions. 



Shooting off " machans " or platforms erected over 

 kills was another method I had often heard of, but never 

 tried, as the tediousness and discomfort of sitting up 

 perhaps the whole night did not appeal to me. Hence, 

 I had been thinking the matter over, and one evening when 

 encamped with my chum the Forest Officer near one of 

 his forests when a plan suddenly occurred to me which 

 not only seemed likely to succeed, but could be attempted 

 with a minimum of discomfort to ourselves. 



The notion I had conceived was no less than to erect a 

 small hut on the branches of a tree in the heart of the 

 adjoining forest, over a pool of water where the tiger we 

 were after was said to come regularly to drink, and to live 

 there if necessary for a week ! 



We had been hunting this animal unsuccessfully several 

 days, and on the night in question were seated round the 

 camp fire after another long, fruitless chase, when the 

 huge branches of the tree beneath which we were sitting 

 had inspired me with this plan, which I at once communi- 

 cated to my friend. 



His reply was not very encouraging. " An excellent 

 idea no doubt," he said, " but how do you propose carrying 

 it out seeing that we must eat and drink sometimes, and 

 occasionally sleep ? " 



Now, although my companion despite his many 

 estimable qualities was of a most aggravatingly practical 

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