236 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTEAL INDIA 



a bait once in the Nimar district, having come to a place 

 where tigers were very destructive when I had none of my 

 own. AU I could say would not induce the Gaolis (cow- 

 keepers) of the place to sell me a single head during the 

 day-time, the owner of the village being a Baghel Rajput, 

 a clan which claims descent from a royal tiger, and protects 

 the species whenever they can. I was standing outside 

 my tent in the evening, when the village cattle were being 

 driven in, having given up all idea of halting for the tigers 

 another day, when a fine tall young Gaoli stepped up with 

 a salaam and said, " Sahib, I have lost a very fine young 

 buffalo in the jungle, and it will very probably be snapped 

 up by the tigers ; but if you would send some one along 

 that road perhaps he might find it, and we will be pleased 

 if your Highness will keep it, as you are going away from 

 this to-morrow." He grinned a broad grin as he finished, 

 and I spotted his game ; so sending along the " LaUa " 

 about a quarter of a mile we found a very sufS.cient young 

 wall-eyed bufialo tied by a piece of straw rope to a little 

 tree I We had barely time to get the Uttle brute put out 

 in a proper place before nightfall ; but he was duly taken, 

 and we shot a fine tigress, and wounded and lost a tiger, 

 the next day ! 



The morning after the baits have been tied out a shikari 

 should go to see the result, untying and bringing in those 

 that have not been taken, and following up the tracks from 

 any that have, so far as to ascertain. fuUy whereabouts 

 the tiger is likely to be found later in the day. I have 

 mentioned above the " Lalla," and that brings me to the 

 subject of shikdris. A really first-class tiger shikari is 

 extremely rare. The combination of quahties required to 

 make him is seldom found in a native. I shall best explain 

 what he should be by describing the LaUa. And first as 

 to his name. " Lalla " means in upper India a clerk of 

 the Kayat caste, to which our friend belonged; so that 

 though utterly ignorant of all letters save those imprinted 

 on a sandy ravine-bed by a tiger's paw, he was nicknamed 

 the LaUa by the people, and thereupon his real name 

 disappeared for ever; and, when he was afterwards 

 killed by a tiger, no one had any idea what it was. He 



