TIGERS. 97 



the bungalow. My rifles had not yet arrived, but, taking 

 a spare one of Patterson's, I went off to join them. They 

 had been beating some time before my arrival, but without 

 seeing anything. An hour later on, the tiger was startled 

 by the beaters, and passed between the gun on my left and 

 me. We never saw the brute, although we were only 

 sixty yards apart, and in fairly open ground nor would 

 we believe it, until the pugs were pointed out. A few 

 small patches of yellow grass barely enough covert for a 

 hare were dotted about in the glade we were watching, 

 and how the tiger passed through these without being 

 seen is still a mystery, for we were both on the look-out, 

 hearing the beaters shout " huli " (tiger). The next beat was 

 about half-over, when a spur-fowl started up with a note 

 of alarm, some fifty yards in my front ; this was soon 

 followed by a slight rustling noise, as of some large animal 

 walking with measured tread on the dead leaves in the 

 undergrowth in front ; it seemed to be moving from side 

 to side, as if hesitating to emerge from the thicker covert. 

 As the beaters approached, the "crinkle crinkle " on the 

 dead leaves became more distinct, and soon a handsome 

 tiger appeared about thirty yards off, coming slowly down 

 the thinly -wooded slope, straight towards my tree an 

 ailanthus. Its head was swinging from side to side as it 

 advanced panting from the heat, and it presented such an 

 enticing mark that I was obliged to avert my eyes to 

 avoid the temptation to fire. It approached thus to within 

 fifteen yards, and then stopped to listen to the beaters ; 

 this was the long-wished-for opportunity, and, aiming a 

 little in front of the near shoulder, and rather high (as I 

 was twelve feet above the ground) the trigger was pressed. 

 The tiger gave a grunt, sprang into the air, and was then 



obscured for a few seconds by the smoke, which, as it 



H 



