46 SPORTING AND 



ago tigers were much more frequently seen 

 and were fiercer than they are now, and 

 there was then no reward of fifty rupees for 

 killing one. The shikari (native sports- 

 man) in those days were only armed with 

 a spear, which perhaps is formidable 

 enough to attack a wild hog, but no man 

 in his senses would think of attacking a 

 man-eating tiger with a spear, and they 

 were then nearly all man-eaters. I liked 

 the excitement of having a pitched battle 

 with those cruel brutes, and often have 

 spent the night in a tree adjoining large 

 jungles where they abound, and which 

 commanded the path they usually tra- 

 velled. By constant practice, and always 

 handling my rifle, I became a clipping 

 shot ; and let me take this opportunity of 

 warning any of my young friends present 

 not to think of going out tiger shooting 



