374 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



his wishes, and Hebbert and I ran round about a 

 mile as hard as we could, to post ourselves, leaving 

 Lutchman to conduct the beat, and Davidson, 

 who was feeling very unwell, to accompany him 

 on the elephant. Goodness, what a run that was ! 

 I was feeling quite pumped out, and rather sick, 

 when Hebbert selected a tree for me, arid, giving 

 me a hasty 'leg up,' went off to post himself 

 accompanied by a native carrying his spare rifle. 

 The tree I was posted in grew on the edge of a 

 small shallow and tortuous nullah only some six 

 feet wide (into which a lesser one, not wider than 

 a ditch, debouched), and along it grew several 

 large jamun* bushes whose dense gloomy foliage 

 prevented my seeing where Hebbert had posted 

 himself. The jungle to my immediate front, and 

 from whence I imagined the tigers would advance, 

 was perfectly bare under the large forest trees, 

 which now in the hot weather w r ere devoid of 

 foliage, in fact one could have seen even a hare 

 advancing. 



I heard the beat approaching closer and closer, 

 but not a sign of a tiger. At last, catching sight 

 of the beaters, I removed the cartridges from my 



* Eugenia jambulana. This shrub which sometimes attains the 

 dignity of a tree is found in nearly all stream beds. It is evergreen, 

 and therefore always affords shade, and thus is a favourite resort of 

 tigers and bears. 



