106 SPORT IN ASIA AND AFRICA 



I sent Shama with Mihtab Khan back to the 

 camp, and then with the forest guard I went 

 all round the thick patch of jungle to try and get 

 a shot at the tigress ; but the cover was too thick. 

 I then tried to drive the buffaloes into the cover. 

 For a moment, evidently scenting the tigress, 

 they did draw together shoulder to shoulder, 

 but they then dispersed, and it appeared hopeless 

 to expect any assistance from them. My shikari 

 disappeared at an early stage in the proceedings, 

 but another man appeared who said he could 

 use a gun. I therefore gave him the shot-gun, 

 which we had with us, loaded with S.S.G., and he 

 climbed a tree on the edge of the patch of cover 

 and fired, but I do not believe that he saw the 

 tigress. 



We could see one man standing in a tree in 

 the middle of the cover, and shouted to him 

 several times, asking for information as to the 

 position of the tigress, but he was too terrified 

 to answer. He explained afterwards that the 

 tigress was immediately beneath the tree, and that 

 he was afraid of attracting her attention. I 

 saw the tree on which he was standing next 

 day. It was a thin tree, less than one foot 

 in diameter, and there were no branches. jThe 

 man was standing on a projection from the 

 trunk not much larger than the palm of a man's 

 hand. He was about 20 feet from the ground, 

 and was therefore perfectly safe so long as he 

 did not lose his nerve; but his anxiety not to 

 attract the tiger's attention was very natural. 

 It was certainly a most uncomfortable perch, 

 and he was there for quite a long time. 



