52 FOREST LIFE AND SPORT IN INDIA 
a native does not so much mind betraying the tiger 
if he is certain that it will be killed, but dreads the 
vengeance that the beast will take if allowed to 
escape. Thus, the hunter who is known to be expert 
and fortunate will naturally have more opportunity 
than one whose capabilities are unknown. On this 
occasion we were referred finally to the village 
wizard, who was paid for protecting the village 
cattle by means of his potent charms, and the gift 
of a kid and a bottle of rum, combined with a 
promise of large reward, decided him that he could 
spare a few tigers from his stock in trade. So next 
morning, mounted on the largest elephant we pos- 
sessed, murmuring various incantations, and ringing 
a small bell, he led us to a miserable patch of grass 
that might have held a brace of partridges or a 
hare, but seemed quite unsuitable as cover for a 
tiger. It was not till our five elephants were sweep- 
ing this area for the second time that my mahout 
pointed to a tiger crouching below us. This grand 
beast slowly arose and walked majestically away, 
till on the edge of the grass he turned, standing 
broadside to the elephant, and in an instant he lay 
prone on the earth, dying without a struggle. The 
wizard was begged to repeat the experiment, and 
once more leading the way we arrived at a more 
hopeful-looking spot, and here a similar scene was 
enacted with as little trouble. 
Bewildered, we returned to camp. I forget at 
this distance of time the number of tigers this 
peculiar man presented to us in this manner; they 
were but few, as he explained that if there were no 
tigers there would be no fees for preserving the 
