86 The Hunting Grounds 



always broke back again, as if they dreaded danger 

 in the open ground and feared to cross it. 



At last a sturdy bear showed the way into the 

 plain, and was rolled over by Mac with a single ball. 

 Soon afterwards a herd of sambur (elk) and a sounder 

 of hog broke ; and a fine buck, two does, and a sow 

 bit the dust from the united volley poured in from 

 all sides. 



Then two cheetahs came bounding into the plain, 

 followed by another bear ; and one of the former fell 

 by a ball from Kistiinah's matchlock, and the other 

 was badly wounded by one of my troopers, and after- 

 wards despatched by the matchlock - men on the 

 second line. The bear was killed by Jock, having 

 made several ferocious charges after he had been 

 wounded, in one of which a cooly was slightly 

 mauled by his claws. Then another cheetah broke, 

 and charged through our line scathless, though 

 several shots were fired at him. 



The beaters were now heard approaching very 

 near, and I thought everything in the shape of large 

 game must have been driven out of the inclosed 

 patch of jungle, when suddenly I heard a cry of 

 " Bagh ! Bagh I " (a tiger ! a tiger !) from one of my 

 troopers, and almost immediately I saw a magnificent 

 full-grown tiger stealing quietly across a little open 

 glade or break in the jungle. 



He was almost broadside on to me, but I was 



