THE TIGER. 275 



stronghold to face the fearful, waterless, burnt-up country he 

 did. I lost no time in getting round the head of the ravine 

 and giving chase on the elephant. His tracks in the ashes of 

 the burnt grass were clear enough, and we followed him for 

 about two miles, sighting him on ahead every now and then, 

 till he disappeared in a little ravine, and we lost the track in 

 its bare rocky bottom. I was going along the bank, with the 

 other elephant in the bottom of the ravine, when I heard the 

 bark of a s&mbar to my left on some high ground, and, urging 

 Futteh Ed-ni at her best pace in that direction, shortly came on 

 the tiger slouching across the open plain, evidently suffering 

 from a wound, with his tongue hanging out, and wearing alto- 

 gether a most woebegone look. He made an effort when he saw 

 me, and galloped a hundred yards or so into a patch of bamboo 

 jungle. I knew from the local shik&ri that he was making for 

 a water-hole about half a mile ahead, and cut across with the 

 elephant to intercept him. I had the pace of him now, and 

 got clean between him and his water. I never saw such an 

 air of disgust worn by any animal as that tiger had when he 

 came down the hill and saw the elephant standing right in 

 front of him. He said as plainly as possible, " Come what 

 will, I don't mean to run another yard ; and it won't be the 

 better for anybody that tries to make me." So he lay down 

 behind a large Anjan tree, showing nothing but one eye and 

 an ear round the side of it. I marched up within fifty yards, 

 and now saw the switching end of a tail added to the eye and 

 ear. I could not fire at him thus, and therefore sidled round 

 till I saw his shoulder. He saw the opening thus left, and 

 eyed it wistfully, as if he would rather escape that way, if he 

 could, than fight it out. But I planted a ball in his shoulder 

 before he had time to make up his mind ; on which he rose 

 with a languid roar, and lumbered slowly down the hill at the 



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