258 THE WILDERNESS AND JUNGLE 



officer was badly wounded through his own 

 want of caution in circumstances which should 

 have dictated extreme prudence. Major Murray 

 was having the jungle beaten one evening, 

 towards some machans in which he and his 

 friends were to be posted, and earlier in the 

 day he walked a little way into the jungle in 

 order to see that his instructions had been 

 carefully carried out, as the least mistake in 

 constructing machans is certain to spoil sport. 

 Suddenly a tiger appeared. He raised his rifle 

 and fired, wounding the animal, which at once 

 retreated into a neighbouring ravine. Being 

 familiar with the ways of wounded tigers, he 

 had the good sense not to follow it alone, but 

 went back to camp and told a brother officer 

 what had happened. Unfortunately, he was 

 persuaded against his better judgment by the 

 latter, who insisted on their returning at once 

 to finish off the tiger ; so back they went and 

 found the animal lying under a bush in the 

 ravine. Major Murray now fired again, and 

 again hit it, whereupon it charged. The other 

 now got in two shots, both of them hitting the 

 tiger in the neck, but failing to stop it, as a 

 result of which he was badly mauled before his 

 friend could shoot it dead. This wanton risk 

 of life and limb is a pity. No one can help 

 admiring the courage which makes little of even 

 so formidable an adversary as a wounded tiger, 



