ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 165 



half the carcass of a recently killed nylghae. Bringing the 

 elephants abreast we turned up the hill, and presently came 

 on three tigers sitting quietly in the grass, within thirty 

 paces of each other. They seemed to regard us with great 

 unconcern. Whispering to the mahout to stop, I was in the 

 act of raising my rifle, when, with a shrill trumpet, my 

 elephant rushed to the front. I was of course jerked down 

 into the seat, and before I could recover myself the three 

 tigers had vanished. Looking around for my friend, I found 

 his elephant had behaved even worse than mine, and had 

 nearly smashed him against the overhanging branch of a tree. 

 We deplored our hard fate, and abused the elephants ; but 

 had I known then all I know now, the blame, and probably 

 the punishment, would have fallen on the mahouts. 



It was late in the afternoon when we reached our camp at 

 Ghora Puchar. It was by no means a cheerful spot, and we 

 were informed that on a former occasion the groom of some 

 officer from Mhow had been killed here by a tiger. It was 

 suggested by some of our people that we might have a chance 

 of a shot by sitting up at night over a bait. Bradford had a 

 young buffalo tied up, while I sat over the remains of a nylghae 

 which had been killed two days before. Hyaenas were 

 plentiful, and they fought over the carcass of the blue bull 

 all night, but no tiger came near me ; and Bradford was 

 equally unsuccessful. On leaving my tree at daybreak I 

 made a short detour through the jungle, and on my way to 

 the tents I came on a large herd of cheetul. No good buck 

 presented himself, so, as we were in want of meat, I knocked 

 over a fat doe, which we carried to camp. 



About this time we were told that the supply of flour was 

 running short, and that we must move in nearer civilisation. 

 In fact, we found ourselves in the hands of our attendants, who, 



