ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 157 



of the previous day's disaster. Some of our men had been 

 out in the early morning, and had followed up the fresh track 

 of a tiger into the willows which fringed the banks of the 

 stream. At this spot the river was about eighteen inches in 

 depth from bank to bank, and the sides, which sloped down 

 sharply to within a few yards of the water, were clothed with 

 thick green bushes. 



The main river was joined by several deep and tortuous 

 nullahs, partially filled with dry grass eight feet high, which 

 had escaped the conflagration in the annual burning of the 

 surrounding jungle. Altogether the spot was very tigerish. 

 Away from the bed of the river the jungle was bare and 

 stony, and the black ashes of the burnt grass seemed to 

 render the heat more intense. The trees were clear of leaves, 

 and the only shade to be got was on the north side of their 

 trunks. 



On this day Bulkley and Arbuthnot wished to try 

 the elephant, so they mounted him together, and proceeded 

 to beat down the bed of the stream towards Ashburner 

 and myself, who were posted in trees on the bank. My tree 

 was in a good position on the edge of a deep nullah, and 

 mounting, with my gun-bearer, we perched ourselves and sat 

 quiet. 



We soon heard the elephant trumpet, and a glimpse was 

 obtained of the tiger by those in the howdah ; but the trees 

 hung so much over the water, and were so large and dense, that 

 the elephant could only be driven in the centre of the stream. 

 Stones were flung in freely from above, but the tiger would 

 not again show, though we worked after him for two hours. 



All this time I was sitting in the tree exposed to thefullforce 

 of the blazing May sun, and I had another attack, similar to that 

 from which I suffered on the first day. My attendant would 



