34 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



was not unwelcome. I accordingly encouraged 

 the mahout to proceed ; and, as soon as we 

 advanced, the tiger burst from some bushes at the 

 foot of a tree in which he was lying and charged. 



I have heard it said that a tiger always 

 charges at a fast run. This one charged at 

 a gallop. He was in the middle of a spring, 

 with his forelegs stretched out in front and the 

 hind-legs stretched out straight behind him, 

 when I fired. Directly I fired, the elephant 

 swung round so that I could not fire the second 

 barrel, and the tiger pushed home the charge 

 and seized her by the middle of the thigh. In 

 the struggle that ensued I received a severe 

 bruise on the forearm, but was not otherwise 

 injured, though I was in great danger of being 

 crushed, as the howdah was in constant collision 

 with a tree or trees. The howdah, which was 

 very strongly built, was much damaged. I was 

 quite unable to shoot, and got down into the 

 howdah and trusted for safety to the elephant. 

 Presently she flopped down, and I thought the 

 tiger had pulled her over, but apparently she 

 sat down so as to pinch the tiger's head and make 

 him let go. The manoeuvre succeeded, as she 

 shook him off, and then got up and bolted. 

 She did not, however, go far, and the mahout 

 recovered control and stopped her. Mihtab Khan, 

 who was behind me in the howdah, seized a 

 bough in the struggle, and, being a powerful 

 man, swung himself up into a tree. He had a 

 Lee-Metford rifle in one hand, and it was a fine 

 acrobatic performance ; but he made no attempt 

 to fire at the tiger. 



