202 SHIKAR SKETCHES. 



till we came across tracks which Shaikh Boden 

 declared were quite fresh ; so we arranged a fresh 

 beat which also proved blank, though our shikari 

 whilst conducting the beat, discovered by some 

 very creditable tracking in the grass that the 

 tiger had doubled back in the direction of our 

 first beat. This he must have done in a most 

 leary way on hearing us. His tracks were, how- 

 ever, soon lost ; so, after deliberation, we resolved 

 on trying our first beat (which ran along a nullah 

 between two ranges of hills) again, only in the 

 opposite direction to which we had beaten it 

 previously. 



1 The tiger turned up at the very end of the 

 beat, and trotted down a branch nullah towards 

 Rawlins, who fired and hit, turning the tiger 

 back into high grass, amongst which he disap- 

 peared. It was impossible to " walk him up," so, 

 having posted markers in trees, we set fire to the 

 grass, which we succeeded in burning all round a 

 triangular patch in the fork between two nullahs. 

 Although the markers saw him move, he refused 

 to leave this, so Rawlins and Brough, being posted 

 in trees, Hebbert and I went round to protect the 

 beaters whilst firing this last remaining cover. 

 In doing so I saw the tiger lying down under a 

 bush, and fired ; with several roars, and after 

 some delay, during which the tiger appeared to 



