CHAPTER VIII 



Tiger slayer and policeman — A useful combination — ^Tracking a Dacoit 

 leader — A troublesome gang — Eluding the police — In pursuit — My 

 early morning visitor — A nude, wild figure — An unexpected meeting — 

 A conditional surrender suggested — Offer of a drink — Sampling the 

 brandy — Arrested in the act — Camp life in India — Tents— Council 

 round the camp fire — Useful information thus acquired — A day in 

 camp described — Fascination of the life — Camping near jungles — 

 Noises in the night as music to the sportsman — Possibilities of 

 adventure, an example — A dinner interrupted — Face to face with a 

 leopard— Dangerous curiosity — Another camp adventure — A shooting 

 camp disturbed — Besieged by a wild elephant — Its t hreatening attitude 

 — A thrilling moment— Suspense relieved — A well-considered shot — 

 Comical conclusion — A Christmas camp — Some bears marked down 

 — The beat b^;un — A frock-ooated sportsman — Charged by a bear — 

 His headlong flight — Coat-tails flying — Caught in a creeper — A Sootoh 

 doctor to the rescue — A lucky ftuk»— " Get up, mon, I've shot the 

 bar " — Proud of his success — His boast. 



As Tiger Slayer to the Government in Khandesh, much of 

 my time was necessarily devoted to the destruction of 

 these animals, for to be successful in this work required 

 a great deal of personal attention to preliminary'' details. 

 'ITianks, however, to the efficiency of the inestimable 

 Bapu and his colleagues, this labour was considerably 

 lessened, enabling me to give the attention necessary for 

 the performance of my other duties as police-officer of the 

 district. 



In point of fact, however, I found that much of what I 

 learnt while tiger-hunting, was of equal use to me as Super- 

 intendent of Police, for to carry out efficiently the duties 

 of either oirice it was essentially nece&sarj' to mix freely 

 with the people and to elicit from them t lie information 

 I I -quired in lK)th cases. 



Thus, while ostensibly and actually iinjuiring as to 

 the whereabouts of a tiger, I was often able to pick up useful 

 information regarding the people of the village I happened 



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