PLAN TO GET "CAVE" TIGERS. 377 



my shikaree had reported that three or four tigers 

 held possession of some caves near the top of a small 

 stony hill in the plain, about ten miles from the foot 

 of the mountain. He told me they sometimes lay 

 in the sandy waterless bed of a river not far from 

 their usual stronghold, but that this was always 

 uncertain. 



" Well, having sent out a tent and guns, I rode 

 one early morning down the mountain, and out to a 

 village a couple of miles from the tigers' hill, having 

 previously requested that the elephant might be sent 

 to meet me. On my arrival there I found it all 

 right, but rather ' must ' and inclined to be can- 

 tankerous. 



"The reports concerning the tigers were less 

 favourable than I expected. They had not con- 

 descended to lie in the river for several days, but 

 always retired to their caves before daylight. These 

 were, it was said, quite unassailable, as they went 

 deep into the interior of the hill itself. So how to 

 get them out was a puzzle I did not attempt to 

 solve. The year previously some men had failed in 

 drawing them, though lavish in expenditure of 

 fireworks. 



" The only plan likely to succeed appeared to me 

 to endeavour to keep them out when they had once 

 left. Accordingly I made arrangements that a large 



