OF THE OLD WORLD. 77 



same as those that had crossed the trail of the man- 

 eater the day before, and which I had supposed to 

 have belonged to a tigress and her two cubs. Several 

 of the beaters saw the wounded tiger linger after the 

 others, and had marked it take refuge in the small 

 island caused by the dividing of the nullah. 



It was a kind of bank, raised about three feet 

 above the bed of the watercourse, and, perhaps, 

 eighty yards long, by thirty wide, being covered 

 with grass and reeds about five feet high, and so 

 overgrown with low bushes, and tangled underwood, 

 that it would have been impossible for the beaters 

 to have made their way through it. 



I posted the doctor, W , and some of the 



gang, with fire-arms, so as to command a view on 

 all sides, cautioning each how to fire so as not to 

 hit any of the rest, and when all was ready Chineah 

 struck a light with his flint and steel, and standins 

 to windward, fired the high grass, which was as dry 

 as tinder from the long drought, and blazed up., 

 roaring and crackling, in an instant. 



I then took post by a hole in the bank, where the 

 grass bore traces of having been recently disturbed 

 and trodden down, it being, I thought, a likely place 

 for the tiger to break. 



Everything promised well; we were all ready with 

 our arms, and waited with impatience for the ap- 

 pearance of the tigers. 



The devouring element had burnt half through 

 the patch ; still we could perceive no signs of their 



