4 
184 H.R.H. DISCOVERS HIS MISTAKE. 
partial to water *n\ any other way 1 cannot believe, as I have 
never seen a tiger frequent the numerous wallowing pools in 
the Nielgherries or Annamullies, or a sign of one ever having 
used them. 
Tigers when near habitations become sometimes a little 
too familiar, and in the shade of the evening may mistake 
yourself or your pony for a sambur. One evening on return- 
ing home rather late I was aware of something creeping along 
parallel with me, and getting nearer, I suddenly saw it was 
a tiger, and at the same moment H,R.H, discovered his 
mistake and with a smothered growl sprung away into the 
jungle. 
Another day when 1 had been out after deer it came on 
foggy, 1 lost my way, and when I got back to the rocks where 
I had told my man to stop, he was no where to be seen ; at 
last I spied him at the top of a hill, and called him to come 
down) but it was some time before he did so. I saw he looked 
scared, and he then told me that he had returned to the rocks, 
and while sitting there^ he saw far up the hill what he thought 
was me beckoning him to come up, so up he went. Imagine 
his astonishment when on getting near, instead of me, he saw 
a tiger lying down switching its tail. 1 doubted the story, but 
swearing it was true he took me up and pointed to the unniis- 
takeable fresh foot prints of a tiger where he had bounded 
down the hill into the shola below. I could not find the horse 
boy with the pony, who I had also told to meet me at 
the top of the hill, and being afraid he would get lost, I fired 
several shots without any effect, so went home. I found him 
at the hut in a great state of mind ; he told me he was 
standing waiting for me when the pony suddenly gave a 
plunge and broke away from him, and on looking round 
