THE TIGEE 235 



however, the sum of it all being that every information 

 regarding the tiger's country, the route he usually takes 

 from one haunt to another, the points where he may be 

 most easily intercepted or come upon unawares, good points 

 for scouts, etc., must be obtained. Places must also be 

 fixed on for tying out baits for him at night. He must be 

 induced, if possible, to IdU a buffalo or an ox so tied out ; 

 and it must be in such a position that he can be easUy 

 tracked from there to one of his usual haunts. 



It may seem cruel thus to bait for a tiger with a live 

 animal, but there is no doubt that the death of a tiger 

 saves much more suffering than is caused to the single 

 animal sacrificed to effect it. A natural kill will not do 

 so well for many reasons. It will probably not be dis- 

 covered iu time to hunt the next day, and the day after 

 it would be useless. Further, it would seldom be con- 

 veniently situated with respect to some haunt of the 

 tiger favourable for finding him in, and the whole day 

 might be lost in trying to find him in wrong places. In 

 fine, experience shows that no bag can ever be made 

 worth speaking of without tying out baits. I usually 

 purchased at the commencement of the season a dozen or 

 fifteen half-grown buffaloes, these being the cheapest as 

 well as the most readily killed by tigers. A thin old 

 brute of an ox, or a tough fuU-grown buffalo, a well-fed 

 tiger will scorn to touch, and often in the morning his 

 footprints will be found all round such a bait, which he 

 has come and smelt, and (metaphorically) poked in the 

 ribs, and left untouched. But a tender Juicy yoting buff 

 of about three and a half feet high would tempt the most 

 blase of tigers to a meal. The cowherds being good 

 Hindiis, wiU not sell cattle avowedly to be tied up for 

 tigers; nor will your Hindu shikaris tie them up with 

 their own hands, though few will object to superintend 

 the operation. The flimsiest disguise is, however, sufficient 

 to quiet the consciences of the cattle men, who will sell 

 a herd of young buffaloes in open market to your Mahome- 

 dan shikari dressed up as a trader in kine, though they 

 may have known him for a bloody-minded baiter for 

 tigers all their lives. I remember being very hard up for 



