A SAD ACCIDENT 287 



Kanavvzo choung or stream. On the first night of our arrival 

 in camp a tiger suddenly made us aware of his presence by 

 roaring at intervals in a most determined, monotonous, and 

 somewhat mournful manner. We had altogether a following 

 of some twenty-five men, 'consisting of our servants, syces, 

 " drabies " or muleteers, two Karen military policemen, 

 hunters, and trackers. Early on the morning of the second 

 day, Clements, thinking there might be a kill somewhere in 

 the neighbourhood, went to look for it, without however 

 finding it or seeing any signs of the tiger, and eventually 

 finished up the day by shooting the tusker already mentioned. 

 I had no luck, although I came on a herd of gaur, which 

 winded me and made off. 



I remember getting back to camp that night about 7.30 p.m. 

 feeling rather done up, having had some very stiff climbing 

 and a long tramp. Almost immediately after my arrival, as 

 we were about to sit down to dinner, the tiger started roaring 

 again as on the previous night. We had no tent with us on 

 this occasion, as the rainy season had not then set in, but slept 

 side by side on a raised split bamboo framework platform, 

 which our hunters had put up for us. This make-shift was 

 about 8 feet broad by about 7 feet long, and stood in 

 the centre of the clearing at a height of between 2 and 3 

 feet from the ground. Our mattresses, waterproof sheets, 

 bedding, etc. were laid on this, the space some 18 inches 

 between our respective beds being occupied by our rifles, 

 cartridges, my revolver, and a few odds and ends. I had 

 also rigged up overhead waterproof sheets and blankets 

 to keep off the damp and wind in such a way as to form, 

 as it were, three sides of a mosquito curtain over my own 

 mattress. I had a sheet stretched out overhead, another 

 behind me, and one on my left, the windward side. Clements 

 was sleeping on my right. 



Some ten or fifteen villagers from Chaukmaw, I may 

 mention, had, on hearing that an elephant had been killed, 

 turned up in camp early in the evening, so as to assist 

 next day in cutting out the tusks and taking away the 

 meat. The tiger, strange to say, continued his roars or 

 calls till about 10 p.m., at which hour we retired to rest, 



