A WILD MAN OF THE WOODS 



Closer examination with my glasses, however, revealed to 

 me a nude savage, who, armed with a rude bow some six 

 feet long, was crawling on his hands and knees, evidently 

 stalking a bakri — jungle sheep. 



I sent my men to fetch him, and after a deal of palaver, 

 he came dragging the little antelope which he had success- 

 fully stalked. Patting him on the shoulder, and telling 

 him that we were brother shikaris, I induced him to 

 accompany me to my tents where I gave him some food, 

 and we were soon the best of friends. 



Bapu subsequently became much attached to me, 

 professing to have great faith in my prowess as a shikari. 

 Before leaving the province I enlisted him in the Bhil 

 Corps, which I eventually conunanded, and I heard later 

 that he had by his good conduct risen to the rank of 

 Havildar. 



Sabha first joined my service as a dog boy, but seeing 

 his keenness for sport, I enrolled him as a shikari, much to 

 his delight. He and Gungdya were always my greatest 

 allies, and both aftersvards accompanied me on a shooting 

 expedition to East Africa, of which an account ^ill be 

 fr'wen later. 



WTiile on the subject of shikaris, it will not, I tnist, be 

 .nsidered out of place to give some description of tiger 

 shooting and of the various methods employed for cir- 

 cumventing these wily animals, by no means an easy task, 

 as every sportsman who has had any experience of this 

 sport will readily admit. 



These methods necessarily vary according to the nature 



r the country, the kind of jungle to be beaten, the season 



t the year, any known peculiarities of the particular 



animal being hunted, etc., etc., but the following remarks, 



\\ hich may be applied to panthers also, will give a general 



idea. 



The best season for shooting tigers is during the hottest 

 months of the year — March, April, May — when the jungles 

 are burnt and the scarcity of water drives all game to the 

 itmnediate proximity of the rivers and pools, etc. 



I have always held that baiting the country, as described 

 l>elow, brings more game to bag than any other plan, though 



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