ADVENTURE WITH A TIGRESS. 39 



We encamped one morning on our march between the 

 stations of Eellary and Dharwar, near a large tank encircled 

 by thick and very high grass and reeds, that extended for 

 a considerable distance. A wide extent of jungle formed 

 the background, and a mud fort and village were situated 

 near the camp. 



My servant informed me that he had been told in the 

 village that there were several tigers in the neighbourhood, 

 and they had lately committed many ravages upon the 

 cattle. This news, however, which I had often heard before, 

 did not at all deter me from seeking my usual sport, parti- 

 cularly with such promising ground before me. Accordingly 

 I engaged a couple of beaters, and, accompanied by my 

 " maty," proceeded to push my way through the grass and 

 reeds, which were often far above my head, towards the 

 more open parts of the tank. We had proceeded some 

 distance without flushing anything, when suddenly I was 

 startled by a tremendous roar in my immediate vicinity, in 

 comparison to which it still seems to me that any similar 

 sound I may have since heard either at the Zoological 

 Gardens at feeding-time, or any other exhibition of the 

 kind, was like a penny trumpet to an ophicleide, and upon 

 turning my eyes in the direction from whence it issued, 

 observed an enormous tigress seated on her haunches in a 

 sort of natural bower formed by the grass and reeds, with 

 two kittens, evidently a very few days old, playing at her 

 feet. I can only describe my sensations at the time as if a 

 feeling of petrifaction was stealing over me, and that my 

 limbs were powerless to obey the impulse of the mind. 

 This was happily but momentary ; I stole one more furtive 

 glance at the terrible object before me, and making a sudden 

 effort, retraced my steps as fast as my bodily powers, and the 

 natural obstacles before me would permit, in the direction of 

 the camp. My attendants had vanished long before, and had 



