THE TIGER ON ITS -KILL" 



were fortunately numerous, and some of them evidently 

 as recent as the night before. 



Our progress, therefore, was necessarily slow, and the 

 five miles from where we had left the dogcart to the village 

 we were bound for occupied close on three hours. How- 

 ever, we finally emerged into a clearing, evidently made by 

 the hands of man, and soon sighted a group of huts forming 

 the village some twenty in all, and occupied by as many 

 families. 



We were immediately surrounded by these people, all 

 much excited and talking together in the usual native 

 fashion ; but after a time succeeded in restoring order, 

 and picking out the most intelligent member of the crowd, 

 elicited the information that the tiger had been heard 

 calling several times during the night, apparently to its mate. 

 Hence there seemed little doubt that it was still in the 

 vicinity of the " kill," and later on, from the marks of its 

 pugs and other signs, we satisfied ourselves that our 

 informant's story was evidently a true one. 



We accordingly convened a meeting, consisting of our 

 " shikari," the owner of the defunct buffalo, two of the 

 head villagers, and ourselves, and discussed as to the best 

 means of bringing the tiger out to the guns, finally deciding 

 that the cover was too big for our limited number of 

 elephants to beat with any prospect of success. 



We next resolved to try and locate the " kill," and then, 

 should there be a suitable tree handy, to build a platform 

 on it and watch over the carcass, in the hope of the tiger 

 returning to it when all was quiet, later on. This being 



arranged, M (my chum) and I mounted a staunch 



elephant and, accompanied by our " shikari " a good 

 tracker followed up the trail into the long belt of 

 grass, which, becoming higher as we advanced, finally 

 developed into grass and tree jungle combined. 



We were proceeding through this slowly and with some 

 difficulty, when suddenly the elephant stopped and gave a 

 shrill scream. At the same moment there was a slight move- 

 ment in the jungle to our front as of some animal sneak- 

 ing away, and, urging the elephant forward, we came upon 

 the dead buffalo, portions of which had been recently eaten. 



Evidently the movement we had noticed was made by 



p 209 



