TIGER-SHOOTING. 193 



ed as flat as we could lay ourselves. He evidently 

 suspected that there was something uncanny 

 there, but luckily the wind was blowing strong 

 from him to us, and moving the scanty grass 

 sufficiently to puzzle his vision. The light shone 

 full upon him, and in the clear mountain atmo- 

 sphere which always causes objects to appear 

 nearer than they really are, even without the 

 glass, one could almost have counted the stripes 

 on his sleek and glossy coat. He must have re- 

 mained in view for many minutes as he quietly 

 passed along the mountain side; and when he 

 disappeared my men, with admirable knowledge 

 of ground, took me as fast as we could run to a 

 spot which would, they said, cross his path. He 

 must have increased his pace during this interval, 

 or he may have discovered there was something 

 wrong in the air, for, notwithstanding that we 

 had only a short way to go in comparison to his, 

 he was at a rapid trot, or run would be a more 

 correct term for the pace, and coming direct for 

 us. just topping one hillock as our eyes rose to a 

 level with the summit of the opposite one ; we 

 were in Indian file, and dropped down on the 

 grass without a whisper. This attracted his 

 attention but he could not make us out, and, 

 probably taking us in our grey shooting clothes 

 for pigs, or ibex at rest, commenced stalking us 



o 



