TSi: EOYAL TIGER OF BENGAL. 67 



Dehra, an enthusiastic though rather inexperienced 

 sportsman they say, went out ahout a month ago 

 into the Eastern Dhoon for a day or two's shooting. 

 Arrived on the ground, he was seated in his howdah 

 on the elephant, looking out anxiously for game of 

 some sort, when the mahout suddenly cried, ' Sh^r, 

 Sahib, — hurra Sher ! ' for a tiger had made his 

 appearance unexpectedly close to the elephant. The 

 gentleman hurriedly fired, and planted a ball from 

 his rifle, not in the tiger's shoulder but in his 

 abdomen. This mistake must have been due to 

 surprise at the tiger's sudden advent on the scene, 

 and the consequently hurried shot; otherwise such 

 a want of knowledge of anatomy as was evinced 

 in seeking a vital spot in the abdomen would 

 be unpardonable. The consequences of the mis- 

 take were, serious; for the tiger, resenting the 

 sudden disturbance in the region, where the 

 remains of his last kill were peacefully reposing, 

 charged the elephant, and by a spring succeeded 

 in planting his fore paws on her head, while 

 his hind legs clawed and scratched vigorously 

 for a footing on her trunk. Imagine the feel- 

 ings of the mahout, with a tiger within six inches 

 of his nose ! the elephant trumpeting, shaking, 

 and rolling with rage and pain, till he was barely 

 able to maintain his seat on her neck at aU ; 

 and the occupant of the howdah, too, tumbled 

 from top to bottom, and from side to side of 

 it, as if he were a solitary piU in a pillbox too 



