ADVENTUKES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 153 



We were all new at the work, and trusted a good deal to 

 Bheeka, who, when sober, was a good shikaree. By his direc- 

 tion we were posted in trees at various points on one side of 

 the cover, while the beaters advanced into the jungle with 

 loud yells and beating of drums. Very soon the father of the 

 family appeared ; he was no doubt the big beast we had seen 

 the day before. He came out either to Arbuthnot or Ashbur- 

 ner, who were posted near each other, and one of them wounded 

 him severely, turning him back into the jungle. On hearing 

 the shots the beaters promptly drew back, and could not again 

 be induced to enter the covert, but the yelling was redoubled. 



My post was in a tree at the upper end of a small water- 

 course, about a hundred yards from the edge of the thick wil- 

 lows. My rifle had recently been re-stocked by a native 

 artificer, who had so arranged the triggers that if placed on full 

 cock both barrels would go together, or nearly so. When deer- 

 shooting, I got over this difficulty by cocking one barrel only. 



Soon after the old tiger had been wounded I saw a tigress 

 leave the covert and come up the watercourse towards my 

 tree. Forgetting the peculiarity of my rifle, I cocked both 

 barrels, and when she was within thirty paces I fired. My 

 rifle went off with a great report and a sharp recoil, and I 

 then found I had let off both barrels. 



The tigress fell forward, and remained quite motionless, 

 neither moving tail nor paws. My gun-bearer, who was seated 

 beside me, passed the second gun, a smoothbore, and I sat 

 ready to fire in case the beast should move. From her posi- 

 tion she looked as if merely checked by the report of my rifle, 

 and crouching for a charge. Meanwhile the beaters remained 

 yelling on the far side of the river, where they had perched 

 themselves on trees commanding views of the covert, which 

 they prudently did not attempt to enter. 



