TIGERS. 83 



retreat, perhaps several miles off, or lies up in some 

 secluded spot near at hand, which he has discovered by 

 experience is secure from molestation such as an isolated 

 rock, clump of bushes, or patch of long grass, which has 

 escaped the hunter's eye. When visiting the tied-up 

 animals the shikaries always trail leafy branches along the 

 sandy tracks in the jungle, as they walk through it ; this 

 obliterates any stale footmarks, and, if a kill occurs, often 

 shows the course taken by the tiger after his meal, by 

 which means he may be " ringed," or marked into a 

 certain limited space, such as a nullah, isolated hill, or 

 other restricted area of jungle. There are many tracts of 

 country, however, where the ground is too hard and rocky 

 to afford the shikaries any help in this way, and all that 

 -can then be done, is to beat the most likely places on 

 chance. This was the case at Kowlass ; we had two kills 

 for two days in succession, after my evening rencontre as 

 related in the last chapter, followed by many unsuccessful 

 beats, and the shikaries declared it would be useless to 

 waste more time there, as the tigers were "chors" (rogues). 

 We accordingly decided to wait one day longer, and to 

 commence by having a turn at bears in the early morning, 

 at a place remote from our ties, named the Poopul nullah, 

 which was five miles distant from camp. 



Being without watches, we relied on the stars, and 

 got up about 1 a.m., imagining it to be four o'clock. 

 On arrival at our ground it was still quite dark, so we all 

 lay down to sleep, pretty close together, as the man-eater 

 was in the vicinity. After dozing for about two hours I 

 arose, and caught Poulton by the foot, to awaken him, 

 whereupon he started up, clutching his rifle, exclaiming 

 "Oh! my God, has it come to this." He had been dream- 

 ing of the tiger, and imagined he was in his clutches ! 



G 2 



