30 



RECREATION. 



After ordering the formation of another 

 ghira, outside the first one, we took a 

 hasty luncheon and, leaving our horses, 

 walked to the neighborhood of the ghira. 

 Arriving there, we were stationed by 

 the shikari at places where he said the 

 tiger would probably pass. Then Captain 

 W. mounted his elephant, and, rifle in 

 hand, rode into the ghira. Mr. and Mrs. 

 Brown were seated on a native cot fas- 

 tened 12 feet from the ground in a tree 

 growing out of the bank of a dry water 

 course. 



In the middle of the jungle the elephant 

 gave notice of the proximity of the tiger 

 by trumpeting and by striking his trunk 

 on the ground. At last our enemy was 

 afoot and trying to break out of the ring. 

 At every point he was driven back. This 

 went on for 20 minutes, during which 

 time Captain W., on the elephant, could 

 not, owing to the density of the jungle, 

 get a shot. The tiger then jumped into 

 the dry watercourse and walked toward 

 Brown's station; but when within about 

 70 yards he climbed the opposite bank and 

 followed along the top. Just opposite 

 Brown's position was a clear space where 

 he hoped to get a shot at the tiger as it 

 passed. On came the tiger, walking quiet- 

 ly, and Brown was about to fire, when, to 

 his surprise, the tiger fell dead. 



Tompkins, who was over 100 yards 

 away, had seen the tiger, and, contrary to 

 all sportsman's etiquette, fired at him, not- 

 withstanding the animal was opposite 

 another man. It is also contrary to rule 

 to fire at a tiger more than 40 yards away, 

 unless he is escaping, as at over that dis- 

 tance there is no certainty of killing him. 

 A wounded tiger is extremely dangerous. 

 Had this one been merely wounded we 

 should have been obliged to beat him up 

 at the risk of injury to some of our men. 

 When spoken to on the enormity of his 

 conduct Tompkins said that the tiger was 

 so large it seemed impossible to miss it. 



He appeared well satisfied with himself, 

 notwithstanding the plain talk he heard on 

 that occasion. 



The dead tiger was strapped on the back 

 of the elephant and sent to camp, while 

 we returned to our tent in the mango 

 grove where we had left our servants and 

 horses. 



Before we arrived we received word by 

 a messenger that 2 friends of Brown's had 

 a wounded tiger in a ghira in the vicinity, 

 and wished him to bring his party and 

 help finish the beast. We were only too 

 glad to join our forces to theirs, and 

 sent word to that effect. When we reached 

 their camp we learned that they had 

 wounded a tiger early in the morning, 

 but having few men and an inferior 

 shikari, could not succeed in killing their 

 game. We lost no time in making the 

 necessary arrangements for walking up 

 the wounded tiger, it not being safe to at- 

 tempt to drive him out. 



It was agreed that 3 men should take 

 one side and 3 the other, each with a 

 trustworthy Bheel behind him to carry 

 spare guns and ammunition. The rest of 

 the Bheels we sent around the jungle in 

 which the tiger lay, to get up into trees 

 and act as stops. Giving them time to 

 take their positions, we walked into the 

 jungle toward where the wounded tiger 

 lay. We soon had notice of his where- 

 about. The trees under which he lay 

 were full of monkeys shaking the branches 

 over his head and swearing at him vigor- 

 ously. We walked close up, but the beast 

 would not charge, though he greeted us 

 with many roars. Finally he charged out- 

 right in front of Brown, who fired at his 

 chest as he bounded toward us. The ex- 

 press bullet hit him fairly in the center of 

 the chest, and he turned a complete som- 

 ersault, striking me with his hind quarters 

 and knocking me down. I was naturally 

 much startled and had quite enough of 

 tigers for one day. 



Hopkins : Old Brown is going to marry 

 off one of his daughters pretty soon. 



Popkins : How do you know? 



Hopkins : The gas metre man told me. — 

 Enchange. 



