186 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



a dead tiger, or dead as it may seem to them. 

 Every precaution should be taken to make sure 

 that life is extinct before the liberty of handling 

 the body is taken. The neglect of this has often 

 resulted in lives being lost, for it is astonishing 

 how apparently dead animals sometimes recover. 



I remember a few days previous to the death 

 of the tiger recorded above, an incident illustrat- 

 ing this came under my notice. At a place 

 called Daba, Davidson had wounded a tiger 

 which we were following up. That day, however, 

 our elephant had, from some cause or other best 

 known to himself, taken it into his head to reduce 

 the howdah to splinters just before it was put 

 on him. We had, therefore, to be content with 

 only a pad, which is not the easiest thing to sit 

 on and shoot from when occupied by three people. 

 Our plan of operations was for Davidson and my- 

 self to be posted in trees, whilst Hebbert, on the 

 elephant, should try to drive the tiger towards 

 us, for, of course, as soon as we knew the animal 

 was wounded, all the beaters had been with- 

 drawn. With this end in view, and also with a 

 view of safety in going to our posts, we all got on 

 the pad, and from this more safe conveyance we 

 intended to reach our respective trees. My tree 

 had been selected, and I at once decided on occu- 

 pying as my coign of vantage a convenient branch 



