SOME TIGER AND PANTHER STORIES 27 



to the Maharajah of Balrampur on this occasion, 

 and she stood staunchly when the shots were 

 fired, though she was not highly tried. 



In 1903-4 I had a run of ill-luck, taking part 

 in three expeditions to the Terai, in the course 

 of which no less than nine tigers and tigresses 

 and two cubs were shot, and the only animal 

 which fell to my lot was a large panther, which 

 I shot over a kill. 



On the first occasion, in April 1903, the party 

 consisted of Mr. A. Wood, the late Major Lumsden, 

 I. M.S., Mr. Channer, the Divisional Forest Officer, 

 and myself, and we hunted a portion of the Terai 

 at some distance from the ground which we 

 hunted during my first two expeditions. Major 

 Lumsden rode the elephant Chainchal, and I 

 was riding an elephant which was lent me by 

 the Maharajah of Balrampur. Shortly after our 

 arrival on the ground a good tiger was marked 

 down in a very small patch of thick jungle 

 on the bank of a small deep nullah, or stream, 

 which was overhung with trees. The tiger had 

 killed a chital, and dragged the carcase into the 

 cover, and it was therefore a sure find. Lumsden 

 was with the beat ; Wood had the best place on 

 the bank of the nullah at the end of the patch 

 of cover ; and Channer and I were among the 

 trees on the opposite side of the nullah. The 

 guns were, therefore, roughly speaking, at the 

 four comers of a square with the corner, at which 

 Wood was posted, projecting. The patch of 

 jungle was very thick, and Lumsden was not 

 thought to have any chance. Chainchal' s mahout, 

 however (Karim by name), was a very plucky. 



