CHAPTER XI 



To return to my own adventures. For some months after 

 my night encounter with the leopard while living in the 

 jungle rest house, my life was not very eventful that is, 

 from a sportsman's point of view. However, one day early 

 in the following camping season, the monotony of our past 

 six months' existence and all its attendant discomforts, 

 such as the hot and rainy seasons of India alone can pro- 

 duce was suddenly and most unexpectedly relieved. 



It was in the month of December that three of us the 

 magistrate, the Forest Officer, and myself were camping 

 along the foot of the Bhutan Hills on our usual cold weather 

 tour, and while on the march one morning, we came upon 

 a small village standing on the edge of some high grass 

 jungle close to the forest. 



As we approached, the villagers came crowding round 

 us, talking and gesticulating excitedly after the manner 

 of their kind, the cause of their excitement being a tiger 

 that had killed one of their bullocks early that morning, 

 and dragged the carcass into the long grass. 



There being ten elephants with our party, inclusive of 

 three with " howdahs," preparations were made at once 

 to beat out the high grass. The " howdahs " were accord- 

 ingly posted along the banks of a narrow stream which 

 ran along the edge of this grass, and the rest of the 

 elephants sent round by the open with instructions to beat 

 up from where the forest ended through the grass towards 

 the stream. 



As the line approached the " howdahs," a large tiger 

 showed itself for a moment to the occupant of the centre 

 one, who fired immediately. The tiger swerved on 

 receiving the shot, and rushing through the grass, came 

 suddenly upon the " howdah " to the right, which it 

 charged furiously, but was turned again by a shot in the 



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