2IO COLONEL NIGHTINGALES LETTER. 



gentleman in stripes was as much astonished as the gentleman 

 in tweeds, to find his stalk interrupted. On the tiger turning 

 to bolt, Drury let drive at him, and the beast fell dead at the 

 edge of the shola. 



The following extract from a letter of the late Colonel 

 Geoffrey Nightingale, a well-known Indian sportsman, will 

 give some idea of the dangers and excitement of shooting 

 tigers from an elephant : — 



" In the last year or two I have improved greatly in 

 shooting especially in steadiness and coolness, which is, after 

 all, more than half the battle, and I find no charge however 

 rapid impairs the accuracy of my aim ; I have consequently 

 become, perhaps, foolhardy in allowing tigers to charge up 

 quite close to the huttie ere I fire, and you will see further on 

 how I have (through no fault of my own) reaped the con- 

 sequence of that over-confidence and very nearly got my dose 

 at last. 'All's well that ends well,' however; and now I 

 doubt anything having the power to make me ' turn a hair.' 

 I can assure you, taking dogs with you when after bison is not 

 such spooney work as you may think ; they soon bring a 

 wounded beast to bay and you are certain to be furiously 

 charged directly you come up, so the fun is increased. I don't 

 mean to say I shall make a practice of taking terriers out 

 for bison, but on the occasion I tried it, it answered. I invari- 

 ably have one or two terriers loose with the line of beaters 

 when after tigers ; it makes it much safer for the poor coolies, 

 as my order is, if a dog barks to look out and get up trees, 

 etc., so that I do not run the risk of having my men boned. 

 The other day my line would have come right on a tiger in 

 a thicket had not my dog Crib given warning, when I in- 

 stantly sent the fellows out of the bushes. Now as to my 



