116 TIGERS. 



a man's arm projected from the struggling mass ! It was 

 one of the matchlock wallahs, who, trying to do a bit of 

 shikar on his own hook, had crept forward from his flank 

 position, receiving an Express bullet, which tore away the 

 left side of his neck, from the jaw to the shoulder, but 

 luckily missed the jugular vein. We made a litter of 

 boughs and sent him to Toomkoor, to the native hospital, 

 whence I received frequent reports that he was getting on 

 well, the last of which, at the end of three weeks, was 

 accompanied by a lawyer's letter, threatening me with dire 

 penalties if a handsome sum was not forthwith forwarded 

 as compensation. This letter probably cost the poor fellow 

 a considerable portion of the sum remitted to him. The 

 beat of the tiger we had been looking for, extended as far 

 south as Magadi another " droog " or hill-fort lying to 

 the west of Bangalore where periodical trips, under the 

 management of a sporting " vet." took place on kubbar 

 being received of its depredations. On one of these 

 occasions the guns were duly posted, and, my friend being 

 bored by a long wait for the beat to commence, descended 

 from his tree and entered into conversation with an 

 adjacent gun. Presently the preliminary din of tom-toms, 

 &c., rose upon the air, announcing that the beaters had 

 begun to work ; but the sportsman declined to go back to 

 his post, merely remarking " the tiger never shows up, he's 

 a mythical brute," and continued to converse ; when 

 suddenly shouts of "bagh, bagh," caused him to bolt for 

 his tree, against which a short bamboo ladder was leaning. 

 The tiger charged right under him as he was ascending it, 

 but, holding his rifle pistol -fashion in one hand, he loosed it 

 off ; the recoil knocked him off the ladder, and he fell 

 heavily to the ground, while the tiger, untouched, but 

 roaring loudly, disappeared into the jungle, and was not 



