WE DRAW A BLANK 



breakfast awaiting us also and what pleased us even more, 

 a village watchman with the news that a tiger had killed 

 a bullock only that morning and was lying up with its 

 victim in a large jungle close at hand. 



Our first impulse was to go after it at once, but remem- 

 bering that our elephants and men had done a hard day's 

 work already, we decided to let them rest that day and 

 night. Meanwhile the old " shikari," always somewhat 

 sceptical as to " khubbar " * brought in by outsiders 

 had carried off the informant to test his information, and 

 if found correct to make arrangements for an early start 

 next day. 



The next morning, shortly after daybreak, we mounted 

 our respective howdahs, and with a " khitmagar " f in 

 charge of a substantial " tiffin " basket, on one of the 

 pad elephants, started for the jungle, which proved to be 

 considerably larger than expected. To exploit it thoroughly, 

 therefore, it was necessary to beat it up in sections a 

 tedious and usually unsatisfactory process unless the tiger 

 happens to be exceptionally short-tempered and takes 

 the initiative itself. 



But the one we were seeking was apparently non- 

 militant, for the first beat proved a blank, the second 

 produced a jackal, and the third a civet-cat, which, how- 

 ever, created some excitement for the moment. The 

 " mahout " who first saw it shouted tiger ! declaring he 

 could see its tail distinctly ; but the indifference exhibited 

 by our elephants soon showed us he was wrong. This 

 mistake, however, was quite excusable, for the tails of the 

 two animals are very similar in appearance. We continued 

 beating for some hours but with no better results, and by 

 mid-day, feeling hungry and dispirited, we decided to have 

 lunch before proceeding with our search. Selecting the 

 banks of a small winding stream, we accordingly dis- 

 mounted, and were just about to attack the tempting meal 

 our khitmagar had laid out for us, when one of the mahouts 

 who had gone down to the river for a drink came running 

 back, much excited, with the news that close to the edge 

 of the water, and leading into the high grass behind where 

 we sat, were the practically fresh pugs of a huge tiger. 

 * Information. t Table attendant. 



125 



