240 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



escort with some of the Bheels of the place to endeavour to 

 mark down a tiger, and about mid-day I got word that one had 

 been tracked into an old iron-pit in the jungle. I at once 

 went out, and on reaching the spot we had a consultation as 

 to the position which I was to take up to give me the best 

 chance of a shot. The Bheels were in favour of one tree, 

 while I set my heart on another ; and at length, yielding to 

 their supposed superior knowledge of the locality, I gave in, 

 and climbing up sent them round to start the beast. A tigress 

 soon appeared, trotting lazily along, and I had the mortifica- 

 tion of seeing her pass out of range and under the very tree 

 in which I had wished to sit. Quietly descending, I stopped 

 the beaters from coming on, and mounting my elephant I went 

 off in the direction she had taken. I had not gone 200 yards 

 before I came on her sitting at the foot of a small tree, and 

 apparently careless of our approach. As I advanced she rose 

 and disappeared over a small hill in the jungle. I followed, 

 and on reaching the summit I saw her standing in the hollow 

 below me. I fired, striking her near the spine, but though 

 much disabled she succeeded in reaching an old iron-pit, in 

 which she disappeared. 



My men handed me a number of large stones, which I 

 placed in the howdah, and, directing the mahout to move the 

 elephant up to the edge of the pit, I hurled the boulders into 

 the hole. The tigress would not show, and after some time 

 my men came up with their bayonets at the charge, and from 

 the spot where they stood could see the wounded tigress as 

 she lay under a ledge of rock in a corner of the cave. I 

 descended from the elephant, and while I stood ready to 

 receive the tigress, if she should charge, the top of a tree, 

 which had been left by woodcutters, was rolled by the men 

 over the mouth of the pit, thereby effectually securing us 



