ADVENTURES IN CAMP AND JUNGLE. 29*7 



retained some of its broad leaves. Immediately below this 

 tree was a small furrow in the ground, in which, guided by his 

 growls, we at length caught sight of the tiger crouching for his 

 charge. But before he could rise, our two rifles cracked, and 

 though he still came on open-mouthed and roaring savagely, 

 he was quite disabled, and another shot finished him. 



From the above may be seen the very great danger of fol- 

 lowing wounded tigers on foot. In the present instance the 

 ground was open below and clear of grass, but so great was 

 the hiding power of the animal, and so wonderfully did the 

 black and yellow of his skin blend with the parched ground, 

 that, but for our elevated position on the howdah, we might 

 have walked unconsciously into his jaws. Close to where he 

 fell we found the skull of a gigantic wild boar, which had pos- 

 sibly formed a meal 'to the beast we had just slain. While 

 following up the tiger we captured a good specimen of the 

 land tortoise. 



Two miles farther up, the river becomes deeper and more 

 confined, containing deep pools hemmed in by rocks. Here 

 we occasionally saw troops of otters, old and young, disporting 

 themselves in the clear water, and no doubt feasting plentifully 

 on the fish, which were numerous. Near this spot several of 

 )ur buffaloes were killed by a very large tiger. His footprints 

 were enormous, but we were never able to trace him to his 

 lair, and though on several occasions we hunted out every 

 covert and ravine in the neighbourhood, we never saw him. 

 Probably he had some safe retreat in a deep fissure among the 

 rocks, from which he only emerged at nightfall. Two of my 

 men sat up one night on a small platform in a tree over the 

 remains of the last buffalo which he killed. Soon after dark the 

 tiger appeared, but I imagine there was some jealousy between 

 the men as to who should have the honour of the first shot, 



