282 THE HIGHLANDS OF CENTRAL INDIA 



circuitous route, to post themselves on trees all round the 

 top of the ravine, as outlooks. This done, I advanced 

 along the nala till I found the blood again, which I followed 

 up slowly, keeping a bright look-out ahead. The ravine 

 was densely covered on both banks by clumps of bamboo 

 jungle, and I had just reached the first of these when up 

 jumped the tigress with a roar, and galloped off as fresh as 

 ever towards the head of the ravine ; I had two snap shots 

 at her, which made her speak still louder, but otherwise 

 had no effect. The people above now shouted out that 

 she had again laid down higher up the nala among some 

 bamboos half-way up the banks. It v/ould not do to 

 approach her in this position from below, as a charge would 

 probably have resulted in a general roll to the bottom of 

 the ravine; so, with considerable labour, we chmbed up 

 to the table-land, and went round till we were right above 

 her. Here, however, the bank was too steep to admit of a 

 descent ; so, getting a supply of stones into the howdah, I 

 commenced bombarding the bamboo clumps, and at the 

 third shot the tigress charged out. On she came within 

 twenty paces, when her heart failed her ; she turned sharp 

 off to the left, and I got two pretty fair shots at her, which 

 told loudly, but still she went on as strong as ever. This 

 time she crossed quite over to the opposite side of the 

 ravine, and ascended the bank, as if with the intention of 

 bolting across the open ground. The scouts kept shouting 

 out to me to come round, which I did, and found them in 

 a terrible panic, for the tigress, seeing them on the trees, 

 kept walking about and eyeing them in a cat-and-mouse 

 sort of manner, growhng fearfully and lashing her tail 

 about. The first of them I came to told me she was then 

 lying down at the foot of a tree further on, watching two 

 Gonds in the branches. I soon reached the place : the 

 wretched Gonds were too much frightened to speak, but 

 pointed to the ground below the tree, and sat jabbering 

 like monkeys as I approached. I now made out the tail 

 of the tigress impatiently switching up and down; she 

 herself being crouched in the long grass, I could not see 

 her body. On perceiving the elephant she jumped up, 

 and, making a short run forwards, crouched again. We 



