288 METHOD OF NETTING TIGERS. 



near the nets the spearmen show themselves ; he then generally draws back, 

 and as care is always taken to enclose a particularly thick piece of jungle 

 within the nets, he conceals himself. The beaters close in from behind in 

 a compact line, carrying spare nets. Should the tiger try to break back he 

 is received with shouts, which generally drive him back. Having reduced 

 the area to about a hundred yards in diameter, the nets are quickly run up 

 all round. The main ropes (which pass through the bottom and top meshes 

 all along the nets) are fastened to convenient trees ; the nets are supported 

 at the height of ten feet by forked poles inside and out, inclining towards 

 each other, and secured together at the top ; logs of trees and heavy stones 

 are laid upon the foot all round, and pegs are driven in to prevent the logs 

 being moved. The extra depth of two feet or so of nets is brought up 

 round the logs, and wattled above with cross sticks, thus making the net 

 double for about two feet from the ground. In this way a barrier of great 

 strength is formed ; it cannot be easily pulled down by the tiger, and is too 

 pliable to afford him an effective blow. It is a strange fact that tigers 

 never attempt to jump over the nets, as they might easily do ; panthers 

 occasionally do so. At night fires are lit all round, and spearmen drive 

 the tiger back if he shows himseK. A whole day is often taken up in 

 rendering the enclosure secure. 



Preparations for killing him are now commenced. Fifteen or twenty 

 picked spearmen enter the enclosure with a few men provided with long- 

 handled choppers ; the duty of the latter is to clear a path fifteen feet in 

 width across the enclosure, thus dividing it into two parts, the spearmen acting 

 as a guard the while. The object of the path is that the tiger may be shot 

 when driven across it. This going inside an enclosure with a tiger that has 

 been excited perhaps for two or three days, and has failed in aU his attempts 

 to escape, would appear, to those who do not know the true nature of the 

 animal, to be inviting certain death ; but the men keep well together, and a 

 tiger has never been known to charge home amongst them. His position 

 seems to have the effect of cowing him. After he has been wounded the 

 men seldom venture within the nets. 



If, after being fired at, the tiger keeps in the thick cover, and every 

 means fail to stir him, and elephants are not at hand, the looking him up is 

 a service of sufficient danger. The tiger may be dead, but he is perhaps 

 only badly wounded ; in such cases the only thing is for the sportsman to go 

 in with a strong body of men with spears (these would, of course, be of little 

 use in meeting a charge, but the having some weapon in hand gives confi- 

 dence), when the tiger can be shot as he lies, or in charging, or retreating. 

 I have on several occasions hunted up tigers in this way, and I must say 



