TIGER SLAYER BY ORDER 



sight of the tiger crouching behind a clump of bamboos. 

 CalHng to the others that I had seen him, and warning them 

 that he was wounded and therefore dangerous, we con- 

 tinued to advance, but more cautiously than before. 



When within about ten yards of her, for she proved tc 

 be a tigress, I noticed the end of her tail twitching nervously 

 like that of a cat when stalking a bird, and knowing from 

 this that she was on the point of charging, I took careful 

 aim and fired. 



The bullet, striking her between the neck and shoulders, 

 killed her on the spot, which was fortunate, for had she 

 made good her charge, one or more of us must assuredly 

 have been mauled, if not killed. She was a handsome 

 beast though small, being only eight feet six inches, but 

 with a finely marked skin. 



On return to camp, the village turned out in great num 

 bers and were much rejoiced, in their own apathetic way 

 for it seemed she had killed a number of their cattle, tht 

 ravine where she had made her lair being close to the 

 village. 



My first bullet we found had struck her rather low, 

 but being in a good line with the shoulder, she would 

 no doubt have died eventually from the wound. 



****** 



Writing of following up wounded animals, reminds me 

 of a very curious story connected with a sad accident that 



occurred in this way some years ago, when C of the 



I.C.S. was terribly mauled by a bear. 



While shooting in Khandesh at the foot of the Satpura 

 Hills, it seems he had wounded a bear the day before, and 

 w^hile following up the blood-tracks the next day, the 

 vicious brute charged him, inflicting ghastly wounds, and 

 though he was taken on to the nearest place, Chopda, and 

 attended to, he died before medical aid could reach him. 



The curious part of the story is, that his wife, who 



happened to be staying with Mrs. H , a friend of mine 



at the time, and occupying the same bedroom, was awakened 

 during the night and saw her husband in the room. She^ 

 spoke to him, expressing her surprise at his returning sc 

 unexpectedly, then waking her friend, apologized to hei 

 for the unceremonious manner in which he had come in. 

 128 



