382 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



very narrow in girth I re-ascended the elephant, 

 and commenced working down the jungle in the 

 bed of the river, on the look-out for the tiger which 

 had previously slipped away. Some of the favourite 

 lairs were known to my man ; so, pushing quickly 

 through the jungle where it was thin and open, we 

 examined carefully each denser bit, till we reached 

 a thickish patch, which I was assured would very 

 likely prove to contain number three. 



" I stopped at the edge to reconnoitre, and soon 

 saw the beast I was in search of. But the bushes 

 were very thick, and I could not make out very 

 clearly the outline of his form. He appeared to me, 

 however, to be sitting down, with his back towards 

 me, and listening. As I had only the single ele- 

 phant, he probably did not consider the noise we 

 made sufficiently alarming to induce him to move 

 off. His want of caution eventually cost him dear. 

 Whether he was meditating a bolt, or not, I don't 

 know ; but I soon settled the question by firing a 

 couple of barrels at him, one or both taking effect. 

 This, naturally, was very persuasive. With one 

 short roar, he quickly disappeared among the bushes. 

 I pushed on, but next saw him, far ahead, emerge 

 from the thick cover among some scattered shrubs 

 and rocks, in which he disappeared. I continued 

 on, and beat the place, but without seeing him. 



