of the Old World. 199 



made long excursions into the jungle, we were very 

 unsuccessful in meeting with large game, only killing 

 a few deer for food. One evening, as I was re- 

 turning towards the tent after a long weary fag, 

 during which I had not pulled trigger, Chineah and 

 one or two of the gang who were with me asked me 

 to shoot a peacock for them that was screaming in a 

 thicket close by. I bid them remain perfectly quiet 

 where they were, whilst I followed it up guided by 

 the cry, and at last I got so near that I could hear 

 the old birds scratching up the ground, and the young 

 ones chirping or rather whistling; but the under- 

 wood was so dense that I could not get sight of 

 them, although they must have been within a few 

 paces from me. I clambered down the dry sandy 

 bed of a nullah, and was peering between the trees 

 in the expectation of getting a glimpse of the brood, 

 when, turning stealthily round a large jummona-bush 

 (a kind of willow), I suddenly came face to face 

 upon an immense tiger, who had evidently been 

 taking his "siesta" under the cool shade of the 

 shelving bank, for when I first caught sight of him 

 he was stretching himself and yawning as if only just 

 awake. Doubtless it was a mutual surprise, but I 

 was the first to recover my self-possession, for with- 

 out a moment's hesitation I swung round, and not- 

 withstanding we were barely six feet apart, and my 

 gun (a double eight-guage by Westley Richards) 



