274 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



credulous, so I came down, and mounting the elephant beside 

 him directed the mahout to move towards the ridge near the 

 water. We beat it down very carefully with no result, but I 

 knew the beast was not far off. 



The side of the bank next the river sloped sharply down 

 some eight or ten feet to the water, and was heavily fringed 

 with a thick green shrub. I directed the mahout to take the 

 elephant round and enter the water. This he did, and as we 

 moved along in front of the bank, in water about five feet 

 deep, we spied the tiger lying almost hidden by the bushes. 

 Being anxious to save the skin, only one shot was fired, with 

 the best aim allowed by the imperfect view. On receiving 

 the shot, the tiger roared and sprang clean out from the bank 

 towards us, and was shot in the water swimming at the 

 elephant's head. He was a young tiger, but a most determined 

 beast. When we towed him ashore he was found to be 

 riddled with bullets. We thus had four lying together on the 

 sand. They were all young tigers and tigresses, but as large 

 as the mother, and only to be distinguished at a distance by 

 their imperfect stripes. After a slight refreshment we followed 

 the old lady into the Maun river, and soon came on her in the 

 cypress. She died game, but the shooting was too good for 

 her this time, and she had no chance. 



On the death of the four, we had sent off to the camp for 

 two light carts. These had arrived by this time. Two tigers 

 were placed in each, and with the fifth bound, on the ele- 

 phant, the procession moved on the tents. We had within 

 the week killed ten large tigers, the result of five days' work. 

 Of these nine were killed within a circle half-a-mile in 

 diameter. The villagers turned out in considerable numbers, 

 and rejoiced in their own apathetic way. Had we not come, 

 many of their cows would no doubt have suffered. They 



