336 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA. 



behaved nobly. Curling her trunk out of harm's way, and 

 placing her sturdy fore legs firmly before her, she stood like a 

 rock in the midst of all the noise (for the trio roared like very 

 bulls of Bashan). I had therefore perfect confidence in pro- 

 ceeding to follow up the wounded tigress. We soon found 

 blood in plenty leading along the nala" towards the hills. I 

 had taken the precaution of placing scouts on all the prin- 

 cipal trees, some of whom had seen her cross an open space 

 and enter the nala" where it debouched from a cleft in the 

 hill side ; she was going quite strong, they said, although 

 bleeding freely from the neck. On inquiry I found that the 

 gorge in the hill was a mere cul-de-sac, having no exit at 

 the other side, except on to an elevated plateau, as bare 

 as my hand, which a wounded tiger would never dare to face. 

 There was no doubt, therefore, that she had stopped in this 

 gully and would fight, so I proceeded to make arrangements 

 for the attack. The first thing done was to send men up the 

 hill, by a circuitous route, to post themselves on trees all 

 round the top of the ravine, as outlooks. This done, I 

 advanced along the nala" till I found the blood again, which 

 I followed up slowly, keeping a bright look-out ahead. The 

 ravine was densely covered on both banks by clumps of 

 bamboo jungle, and I had just reached the first of these when 

 up jumped the tigress with a roar, and galloped off as fresh 

 as ever towards the head of the ravine ; I had two snap shots 

 at her, which made her speak still louder, but otherwise had 

 no effect. The people above now shouted out that she had 

 again lain down higher up the nala, among some bamboos 

 half-way up the banks. It would not do to approach her in 

 this position from below, as a charge would probably have 

 resulted in a general roll to the bottom of the ravine ; so, 

 with considerable labour, we climbed up to the table-land, 



