TIGER-SHOOTING. 197 



walking along the northern bank, on our way to 

 our posts, when we were stopped by the cry of 

 " Bagh hai," and, looking down to the bed of the 

 river, saw what was apparently a very large tiger 

 stalking a herd of cattle that had come down to 

 water. We crouched down, and had the luck to 

 see the whole business. The tigress, as she proved 

 to be, when first seen, was stealthily stalking a 

 white cow, which was some little way oif from the 

 main body of the herd, and, taking advantage of 

 the slightly undulating bed of the river, had pro- 

 bably approached across an open space of perhaps 

 five hundred yards, before this cow had seen her ; 

 the rest of the herd were behind one of the islands, 

 and could not yet see the enemy. 



4 The white cow allowed the tigress to approach 

 her within about eighty yards before she appeared 

 to notice her danger, and at first seemed to be 

 fascinated by the appearance of the brute creep- 

 ing towards her, and it was only when the tigress 

 commenced to increase her pace to a trot that 

 the cow made off ; the trot increased immediately 

 to a lumbering gallop as the tigress had now got 

 on to the firmer ground that surrounded the 

 islands, and in a very short time she skirted "over 

 a small ridge into close proximity of the herd, 

 which was then commencing to scatter on the 

 news received from the white cow ! The gallop 



