TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



day's work or sport, dinner, the most enjoyable social 

 function of the day, is served, followed by hot grog, while 

 seated round the camp fire, when every animal bagged that 

 day is shot over again, and many a story told — some 

 perhaps not unlike " travellers' tales " though probably 

 quite true, for incidents in Indian sport are often quite as 

 strange as fiction. 



It was at one of these camp gatherings during Christmas 

 time, that we had a somewhat amusing adventure with a 

 bear, an animal, by the way, which, though quite as 

 dangerous as many to be found in the Indian jungle, is 

 from its peculiarities also a comical beast at times and 

 affords the sportsman much amusement. 



On this particular occasion, however, it was not so much 

 the conduct of the bear as that of some of the sportsmen 

 which amused us. We were rather a large party, consisting 

 of two Indian civilians and their wives, the district judge, 

 the doctor, and myself. 



The shikaris having marked down a couple of bears, 

 we sallied forth one morning, the two ladies accompanying 

 us on an elephant, from which they could watch the whole 

 proceedings in absolute security. 



On arrival at the jungle, we took up our respective 

 places, and the beaters being already assembled, the beat 

 began at once. 



We had not long to wait, for presently one of the 

 bears broke out in the direction of the post occupied by, 

 let us say X, who, much to the amusement of the rest of 

 us, was attired in a long frock-coat. How he came to 

 have such a garment with him in camp, and why he had 

 donned it to go bear-shooting in, we never discovered, but 

 there it was, as originally created, silk facings and all 

 complete. 



However, notwithstanding his extraordinary, unsports- 

 manlike get-up, he was evidently quite at home with his 

 rifle, and as the bear came nearer, he fired — but unfortu- 

 nately missed — whereupon the beast promptly charged 

 him. 



Then ensued a scene as comical as any I have ever 

 witnessed in the jungles, for our friend, after his miss, 

 having apparently lost all confidence in his shooting powers 

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