230 Wild Beasts 



trampled it to death, and then flung its body up on to the 

 bank of the nullah. . . . Fortunately for the elephant, 

 the tiger's jaw was broken, so that he received no injuries 

 worth mentioning. 



"The following incidents will show, I think, what a 

 mistake it is to suppose that tigers are never found except 

 in the near neighborhood of water during the hot months 

 of the year. Whilst out with a party of four, in the 

 middle of May, we beat unsuccessfully for a fine tigress 

 that had killed a cow during the previous night. The 

 beat was properly conducted, but no beast of prey ap- 

 peared. A mile or two distant there was a very fine 

 jungle, but it was decided that as there was no water, 

 there could be no tiger in it. We therefore thought it a 

 good opportunity to organize a beat on behalf of our 

 native shikaris, in order that they might slay for them- 

 selves deer, pig, and such like animals for their own 

 eating. 



"Accordingly, we repaired to the desired locality, and 

 scattered ourselves about without taking any of the usual 

 precautions. Some of us helped in the beat, and some 

 of the beaters converted themselves into shooters, and 

 took up such positions as seemed good to them. Things 

 were proceeding very pleasantly, when suddenly a shot 

 was fired by one of the natives, and word was rapidly 

 passed that he had aimed at a tiger, which had not fallen, 

 but gone on up a ravine towards the head of the jungle. 

 No blood marks were found, and the bullet was held to 

 have missed. This was ultimately found to be true. But 

 at the moment I doubted it, for the man was an excellent 



