THE TRAIL OF THE TIGER 301 



yelled and shouted and threshed the jungle with 

 stout bamboo poles sharpened at one end into 

 a short tough point, as though hugely enjoying 

 themselves. It was an hour before the beaters 

 approached to within about one hundred yards of 

 us, and as Aboo watched the lower bank of the 

 gully and I the upper, twice we thought we saw 

 the yellowish head poking its way through the 

 jungle above us. We felt sure it would break 

 cover on the upper bank at the sky line. Sud- 

 denly as we watched intently, the sun burst forth 

 brilliantly over the hill, shining full in our eyes, 

 and at that miserable moment out came the tigress 

 from the jungle straight into the bewildering 

 glare. 'Twas an impossible shot, but my first op- 

 portunity at such game, which must have been my 

 excuse for firing. I missed the mark by feet I sup- 

 pose; the tigress at all events vanished instanter 

 over the hill, and though several hours we tracked 

 her, finally we lost all trail and had to give it up 

 greatly disappointed. 



A tiger that has once hesitated on its charge is 

 not likely to charge home. Once I had an expe- 

 rience to corroborate this. Near a native settle- 

 ment on the west bank of the Ganges I had been for 

 several days without success walking up a tiger in 

 the hills. Then followed other days of even no sign, 

 and finally a day when one broke cover in front 



