156 



THE TIGER. 



their united endeavors, produce such horrible discord, that not even a Tiger dare face 

 such a mass of men and noise. This precaution is absolutely necessary, for the Tiger 

 loves to hide itself in as close a covert as it can find, and, unless driven from its place 

 of refuge by such frightful sounds as have been mentioned, would lie closely crouched 

 upon the ground, and either permit the hunters to pass by, or leap on them with a sudden 

 spring, and so obtain a preliminary revenge of its own death. 



A few bold and active beaters are sent forward as scouts, whose business is to climb 

 trees, and, from that elevated position, to keep watch over the country, and detect the 

 Tiger if it attempt to steal quietly away. 



There is a certain bushy shrub, called the korinda, which is specially affected by 

 the Tigers on account of the admirable cover which its branches afford. It does not 

 grow to any great height, but its branches are thickly leaved, and droop over in such a 

 manner that they form a dark arch of foliage, under which the animal may creep, and 

 so lie hidden from prying eyes, and guarded from the unwelcome light and heat of the 

 noonday sun. So fond are the Tigers of this mode of concealment that the hunters 

 always direct their steps to the korinda-bush, knowing well that if a Tiger should be in 

 the neighborhood, it would be tolerably certain to be lying under the sombre shade of 

 the korinda branches. 



As it is necessary that pedestrian hunters should on a pinch be able to conceal them- 

 selves from the sharp eyes of the Tiger, the color of their dress is a matter of some 

 importance. Experience shows that there is no tint so admirably suited for the purpose 

 as that warm reddish-brown which is assumed by dried leaves. Clothed in this dress, 

 the hunter can so easily amalgamate his person with the surrounding objects, that not 

 even the Tiger's eyes can distinguish his form. A hunter has actually thus lain on a 

 piece of rock while a Tiger prowled along within fifteen feet of the unsuspected foe, and 

 passed on without detecting his presence. Even when a Tiger does see a human 

 being thus attired, it becomes suspicious, and, not knowing what to make of the strange 

 object, moves slowly away from the cause of alarm. This costume is especially useful 

 among rocky ground, with which it assimilates most perfectly. 



If a Tiger be fairly traced to its ordinary lair, the sportsmen prefer to lie in wait at 

 some convenient point, and either to await the voluntary egress of the quarry, or to send 

 in the beaters, and cause the animal to be driven out in the proper direction. When 

 this mode is adopted, it is found best to have, besides those which are held in hand, a 

 whole battery of guns, eight or ten in number, which are laid on the ground, ready 

 loaded and cocked, their muzzles all pointing towards the spot where the Tiger is 

 expected to make its appearance. The object of this expedient is twofold : firstly, to 

 make sure of the animal in case the first shots fail to tell mortally ; and, secondly, to 

 be in readiness should a second or even a third Tiger be driven from the bush. It 

 is so usual an occurrence for two Tigers to make their sudden appearance where only 

 one was expected to lie, that the precaution is an absolutely necessary one. 



Contrary to the habits of most animals, which take the utmost care of their young, 

 and in their defence will expose themselves to the direst peril, the mother Tiger is in 

 the habit of making her young family her pioneers, and, when she suspects anything 

 wrong, of sending them forward to clear the way. Knowing this curious propensity, 

 the experienced hunter will not fire upon a cub that shows itself, for the mother will, in 

 most cases, be waiting to see the result of her child's venture. Therefore, they permit 

 the cub or cubs to pass with impunity, and reserve their ammunition for the benefit of 

 the mother as she follows her offspring. 



Should the Tiger not fall to the shot, but bound away, the hunters know whether the 

 wound is a mortal one by inspecting the marks made in the ground by the feet of the 

 retreating animal. It is a curious fact, that however hard a Tiger may be hit, yet, if 

 the wound be not a rapidly mortal one, the claws are kept retracted, and the footprints 

 show no mark of the talons. But should the injury be one which will shortly cause 

 death, the Tiger flings out its limbs with the paws spread to their utmost, and at every 

 leap tears up the ground with the protruded talons. 



A Tiger has many weak points where a bullet does its work with great rapidity. The 

 brain and heart are of course instantaneously mortal spots and the lungs come next in 



