A CENTRAL PROVINCE TIGER 139 



my left, I fired. He took no notice and I gave him 

 the second barrel. Had I missed ? Oh, horror ! 

 But he carried on for only a few more strides and 

 rolled over with a roar into some bushes. He lay 

 there snarling for a short time and I could see nothing 

 of him. 



A stop up in a tree called out : 



" The bagh has crawled away down the hill, back 

 into the nullah, where he is lying." 



The beaters had stopped after hearing the shots, 

 and it was a relief to see them all climbing up the 

 handiest trees they could find. And they did climb, 

 some of them thirty and forty feet out of harm's way. 

 Lai Singh and the kotwal had made a detour and 

 came up to me from behind and I climbed down. 



" Where is the tiger now? " shouted Lai Singh. 



" Gone into some very long grass close to thick 

 jungle and I can't see him. 1 ' 



We talked matters over in whispers. We could 

 not follow a wounded tiger into long grass, and we 

 could not wait for an hour to give him time to die 

 or stiffen on account of the failing light. So I gave 

 orders that all the men were to return to their homes, 

 giving the bagh a wide berth (as they knew where he 

 was lying up) and we would leave him till next 

 day. 



We found that they had nearly all gone already, 

 not fancying a wounded animal in long grass. No 

 more did I. 



We were standing in a group and I was at the ready 

 for a shot in case of need. 



