ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 241 



against a sudden rush of the wounded beast. She was then 

 killed by a shot between the eyes, and was with difficulty 

 lifted out. 



I heard of more tigers in this neighbourhood, but had no 

 time to hunt them, as I was obliged to return to the neigh- 

 bourhood of the cantonment at Sirdarpore. I therefore pushed 

 on, and on ascending the Vindyah range, went out in quest of 

 bears. I fell in with five of these one morning ; two in one 

 ravine, two in another, and a huge old fellow by himself. I 

 was very unlucky with them ; and though I wounded two I 

 bagged none. However, I was consoled in some measure by 

 securing a fine panther, which I shot from a tree on the rushy 

 bank of a small watercourse, which ran through cultivated 

 lands. 



Several native chiefs having come to my camp on business, 

 it was suggested that we should get up a shooting party, and 

 I accordingly sent out some of my best shikarees in several 

 directions. About noon next day, a horseman came in and 

 announced that two bears had been marked down in a ravine 

 about six miles off, near the village of Eingnode. I sent word 

 to the chiefs, and they soon assembled with their usual motley 

 array of followers, armed with guns, spears, and swords. They 

 also brought two elephants, but were doubtful whether they 

 would stand a charge. I ordered out my own, which, though 

 by no means perfect, was tolerably steady. 



These being sent forward, we followed an hour later on 

 horseback, and on arriving near the jungle, I was met by a 

 horseman whom I had sent out with the markers on the pre- 

 vious day. This man assured me he had marked a tiger 

 in some thick corinda bushes, lying on the bank of the nullah 

 in which I had shot the panther a few days before. I sup- 

 posed that he must have seen another panther, which his ex- 



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