TIGER-SHOOTING. 167 



Whilst encamped at Marouda an instance oc- 

 curred illustrating the audacity of the Indian kite.* 

 Our breakfast was laid outside our tent under the 

 shade of some giant mango-trees. We had just 

 sat down, and I was pouring out the tea, when 

 one of our table servants approached bearing a 

 dish with a cold pea-chick on it, which was destined 

 to form the piece-de-resistance for our meal. He 

 was in the act of placing it on the table when a 

 kite swooped down under the branches, and mak- 

 ing a dash at the plate, bore off its contents in his 

 talons with triumph. The i cheek ' of the bird was 

 so great that, after the first feeling of annoyance 

 at having been deprived of the best part of our 

 meal had passed off, we could not help laughing, 

 and forgiving it. 



The next tiger we got on this trip gave us 

 rather harder work to bag. 



It was at a place called Khandla, and, our 

 4 haila' having been duly killed, we beat. Nothing, 

 however, would induce this wily gentleman to face 

 the guns. He would let the beaters almost tread 

 on him, then jump up, and with a loud ' Wough- 

 Wough,' would charge back through them. This 

 game went on all day till five o'clock, when we had 

 to give up. Again we ' tied out ' for him, and 

 again he killed; but the same thing was repeated; 



* Milvus gorinda. 



