THE EOYAL TIGER OF BENGAL. 65 



oTDstacle that tarred his way, and momentarily 

 gaining on his prey. The stag flew on, not seeing 

 us in his wild haste, until he was so close we could 

 almost have touched him, when his terrified gaze fell 

 upon us, standing rifle in hand, though we refrained 

 from firing, seeing the tiger behind. To go on was 

 death from our bullets, behind the tiger was close 

 upon him, and without an instant's hesitation he 

 turned and took a flying leap over the precipice, the 

 tiger (who had never once caught sight of us, so 

 intently was he gazing at his prey), following in his 

 excitement, and in a moment both the noble animals 

 were lost to sight among tho branches of the trees, 

 where they must have been dashed into a thousand 

 pieces before they reached the bottom.' " — Madras 

 Mail. 



Some years ago Major A., a sportsman of great 

 experience, skill, and resolution, when hunting with 

 a companion, wounded a tiger in heavy tree-jungle. 

 The animal remained in the cover crouching under 

 a large branching tree. Major A.'s elephant be- 

 came unsteady, probably from having been clawed 

 by the tiger, and getting beyond the mahout's con- 

 trol ran away. This most dangerous of all acci- 

 dents occurring among trees, was attended with 

 the not unusual result — the howdah was crushed 

 against an overhanging branch, and swept from the 

 elephant's back. Major A. and the native in the 

 khawas — that is the back seat of the howdah — were 



