AFTER A WOUNDED TIGER. 195 



panied me. The brute, I found, was last seen in 

 some thick brushwood in the forest, about six 

 hundred yards from my camp. I had with me a 

 double twelve-bore gun and four cartridges. We 

 cautiously approached within twenty yards of 

 the spot where the animal was said to be 

 lying, and sheltering myself behind a large tree, 

 I got my guide to throw stones from behind 

 me into the dense jungle in front. A dozen 

 stones or more had been thrown at the spot 

 where he was last seen and on each side of it, and 

 I was just about to step out from my place of 

 shelter, when I heard a voice behind me exclaim : 

 " Throw the stone further ; the tiger is beyond the 

 mohua tree." Turning round I saw the whole group 

 of villagers assembled some forty yards off watch- 

 ing me. On remonstrating with them for breaking 

 their word and following me, they remarked, 

 " There is no danger where the sahib is ; the 

 tiger might have found us alone at the bungalow, 

 and then what should we have done ? " As there 

 was thus no help for it, I allowed them to ac- 

 company me. They appeared to know no fear, and 

 several times tried to go on in advance of me, but 

 I would not permit them. We carefully searched 

 about, and saw a few drops of blood in places, but 

 no signs of the tiger. As it was now getting dusk 

 I persuaded the men to give up the search, and pro- 

 mised to go out with them the following morning. 

 That night I had a sharp attack of fever, and was 

 up all night. Towards midnight I heard the hideous 

 cry of the "Pheeall," an animal of the jackal kind, 



13* 



