118 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



whose driver carrying a long spear in hand, prodded behind 

 the portly and somewhat slow dame which carried him that 

 day. Now the " Mahout" of the attendant beast having lost 

 his head completely through terror and excitement, instead of 

 assisting to pacify the other, was seen by us prodding her un- 

 mercifully, shouting and yelling at the same time, and turning 

 what otherwise would have proved a temporary disorder of 

 her nerves into mad fear, as the prods received behind must 

 have appeared to her the bites and clawings of a pursuing 

 tiger ; meanwhile W/s hands and arms were flying about the 

 head of his own Mahout, who had lost control of his charge, 

 and what with excitement and alarm, and the stimulants, 

 both vocal and manual, administered by his master, was barely 

 able to retain his seat. 



The Sikh orderly who had escaped into the open without 

 his pugree, now that he was in safety, stood enjoying the row, 

 as his gleaming teeth showed, and it was he who in his flight 

 through the tall grass had caused the latter to shake and 

 move, and not, as believed at the moment, the tigress carrying 

 off B.'s " Mahout," whom we picked up dazed, and stupid with 

 terror, but beyond a scratch or two free from wounds. This 

 man remained almost speechless for several days, and had to 

 take leave for the recovery of his health, returning ultimately 

 in sound condition, but always bemoaning the loss of the 

 coloured rag he called his " pugree/' which the tigress 

 had apparently clawed off his head on this memorable 

 occasion. 



J. and I, left with a solitary pad elephant (honourably 

 mentioned above), had our work cut out for us, and a furious 

 tigress before us, wounded more or less severely. Keeping 

 the tall pad elephant between us, we beat the covert slowly 

 and thoroughly, keeping a bright look out ahead, and our 

 fingers on the triggers of our rifles, momentarily expecting 

 another desperate charge, and yet fearing that she might 

 escape out at the farther end into the heavier coverts beyond 

 that we were beating. There was no need however to feel 

 any apprehensions on this score, for crouching close till we 



