ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 287 



We posted ourselves on the side of a rocky hill overlook- 

 ing a small sandy nullah. "We had not been long in our 

 places when the beat commenced, and I heard a tiger roar 

 loudly. Soon I saw a tigress coming down on the opposite 

 side of the nullah, into which she dropped, and then, turning 

 to the right, came along the bed of the watercourse till she 

 was opposite my post. Eaising my rifle, I gave a low whistle, 

 and she at once halted, offering me a fair shot. The ball 

 entered the point of her shoulder, and passing diagonally 

 through, came out behind the elbow on the other side. She 

 gave one convulsive rush to the front, and fell over. The 

 Eajah had witnessed the shot from his tree, and seemed much 

 astonished. As I have observed on similar occasions, when 

 hunting with Indian chiefs, he was somewhat disappointed at 

 the sudden close, and would perhaps have been more satisfied 

 had one or two of his men been clawed a little ; and this not 

 from any bloodthirsty feeling, but simply to give a little zest 

 to the day's work. On arriving at my camp, which I reached 

 about dusk, I found that my own men had followed the track 

 of a large tiger into a covert near the tents, and had anxiously 

 been awaiting my arrival. It was then too late to do any- 

 thing, so we lost that chance. 



I had brought with me two of the Eajah's Mekranee 

 shikarees, who were well acquainted with the country ; and, 

 as they suggested that a ravine, which lay about five miles 

 south of our camp, might hold game, we arranged to examine 

 it on the following day. This ravine, known as the Sankree 

 Tokree, is a tributary of the Hutnee river. It contains water 

 throughout the year ; and the huge masses of rock, mixed 

 with grass and bushes, along its bed, were frequently occupied 

 by tigers. Being single-handed, I examined the ground very 

 carefully before commencing the beat ; and at length fixed on 



