CHAPTER V. 



A BATTUK 



Preliminary arrangements for the beat. — The doctor's great 



appearance. — His famous feat. — W falls in withtigera. — 



Fatal accident. — The death of a tiger. — The game warms. — 

 The battue. — Another tiger dies. — The bag of the day. — The 

 doctor again. — The ceremonies of my gang. 



The next morning we all assembled in my tent an 

 hour before the slightest appearance of dawn, and 

 after having partaken of a hurried collation which 

 my invaluable servant, " Five minutes," always ma- 

 naged to have ready at the proper time, we mustered 

 about eighty sepoys and troopers with their muskets 

 and carbines, and about twice that number of vil- 

 lagers, well supplied with matchlocks, tomtoms, and 

 dubties,* cholera-horns, and other melodious instru- 

 ments of music of that description ; and mounting 

 our nags, preceded by masaltjees or torch-bearers, 

 we started for Botta Singarum. 



• Dubties — native drums. 



