102 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



India to stalk, shoot, or bag ; they inhabit the most 

 inaccessible crags ; and it is a grand sight to see a 

 fine old weatherbeaten buck standing on a peak, 

 with clouds drifting wildly round him. I bagged 

 mine very easily, comparatively speaking ; but it is 

 a great trophy except the old stag and the bison's 

 head my most valuable as yet. I hope this has not 

 bothered you ; but I am sure the * old stag ' will find a 

 corner in your affections when you see him." 



To HIS MOTHER. 



"BLACKWOOD COTTAGE, OOTACAMUND, 

 20th April 1863. 



Just in for a few days to the settlement and then 

 again off for the wilds. 



And now for the story of the death of my first two 

 tigers ; they are both exciting, but the first was unsatis- 

 factory and the latter is satisfactory. The first I take 

 from my Journal. 



Tuesday. Off at daybreak to the stags' pool ; as 

 we were cautiously looking about (for deer), a hollow 

 roar resounding deeply round the valley caused us 

 both Brine and I to crouch, and Brine's eye made 

 out two tigers on a very craggy hill about one 

 mile from us. On looking with the glass we saw that 

 they were tiger and tigress (the tigress may be known 

 from her slighter make ; her more vicious and longer 

 face; her lighter colour; the beauty of her skin, and her 

 smaller size). The latter was lying down, and her 

 husband was looking into her amiable (?) face, swaying 

 his huge head backwards and forwards with a sleepy 

 but impatient motion. It was a very grand and 

 imposing sight to watch these two noble brutes 



