182 WILD SPORTS OF BURMA AND ASSAM 



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the heavy 8-bore, to be absolutely certain of hitting at any 

 distance beyond 80 to 100 yards, much less of reaching 

 a vital spot. Besides, the tiger, as he lay on all-fours, did not 

 present a very large target. At last I made up my mind to 

 chance a shot, as I was getting rather cramped and uncom- 

 fortable from the position in which I was lying. So putting 

 up the 1 50 yards sight and cocking both hammers quietly, I 

 raised my rifle to the shoulder, both elbows on the ground. 

 The tiger at the same moment faced round and stared hard 

 in my direction. I remained as if turned to stone. What a 

 magnificent appearance he presented, his whiskers and a grand 

 ruff round his face showing quite distinctly. 



After gazing hard in my direction for a few seconds he rose 

 slowly to his feet, peered down into the valley below him, 

 where I could still see some of the sambur grazing, and on 

 one of which I had no doubt he had intentions of making a 

 meal. After a preliminary yawn or two and a jerky flick, 

 flick of his tail he stretched himself, and, to my delight, faced 

 round and started to walk along the ridge in my direction. I 

 had never had the chance of bagging a tiger before, although 

 I had seen several and knew a good deal about their haunts 

 and habits, consequently I was rather excited at the opportunity 

 now afforded me. 



I waited till he had covered half the distance between us, 

 and then slowly raised my rifle, intending to fire at about 

 50 yards, but I reckoned without my host, as the brute's 

 quick eye detected the movement, and, halting dead, he turned 

 half round as if uncertain what to do. I immediately fired, 

 taking a full sight, as I am rather inclined with a heavy rifle 

 to shoot low. The distance would be about 100 yards. A 

 short hoarse growl was the reply to my shot, and the tiger, 

 whose fore-leg I had broken, charged away down the hillside 

 into the dense jungle, where all hope of pursuit on foot was quite 

 out of the question. I sent a second shot after him as he 

 disappeared into the jungle, but missed, as I saw the spot where 

 the bullet knocked up some earth a foot or two behind him. 

 It would have been utter folly to have attempted to walk 

 him up, accompanied by any of my men, in jungle where 

 you could not see two yards ahead, and where some of us would 



