TIGERS. 115 



probably land among the sportsmen before a shot can be 

 fired. 



In October, 1881, I had for several days been beating the 

 jungles at Devaroydroog, near Bangalore, for a tiger 

 which was killing a lot of cattle in the vicinity, but 

 without seeing anything of him. A fair number of 

 cheetul and pig, and a few sambur, had been driven out 

 daily ; but, being keen about the tiger, I had not fired a 

 shot. The beaters and camp followers were very clamorous 

 for meat ; but I told them that on the last day of my 

 leave the village shikaries would help, and that we would 

 have a big beat for deer and pig, and get them plenty of 

 meat. 



Accordingly, on the evening of the 20th October, I 

 moved down the hill to Kombarhully bungalow, which 

 was situated close to a thickly wooded tract of hitherto 

 undisturbed jungle, which was to be the scene of our 

 operations next day. About one hundred villagers, headed 

 by four matchlock shikaries, having mustered at the 

 bungalow at an early hour the following morning, we first 

 proceeded to beat a shady valley, about half a mile in 

 length, and three hundred yards broad, the beaters being 

 formed into line, with a shikari on each flank, and the two 

 remaining matchlock men three hundred yards in advance, 

 with orders to move gradually forward on their respective 

 alignments, to the top of the valley, where I was to be 

 posted in a central position. 



Towards the end of the beat my shikari said " there is 

 a pig fire," pointing to a moving object, under some 

 bushes, about eighty yards distant. It was very indistinct, 

 but, on pressing the trigger it emitted some grunts, and 

 appeared to be rolling on the ground ; reloading, I ran 

 forward, and was just going to put another bullet into it when 



