204 
BAFFLED, 
Stopped and drawing himself up to his full height remained 
watching ihem ; presently he slowly came on to an old dry 
wallowing pool near where the deer had been standing and 
laid down. The ground was quite open and I hoped he 
would gradually come up the dip, so I hastened down to meet 
him, for 1 was a long way off; when I got to the end of the 
open ground 1 took a cautious peep, iind saw that he was still 
on the same spot but with only his head visible ; he was a 
good 200 yards off, and 1 did not like to take a chance shot 
at his head or rather part of it, for he had evidently seen me 
and had crouched; by moving a few paces I could uncover his 
body, so 1 put up the 200 yards sight and endeavoured to get 
a clearer view, but in an instant he was up and bounding 
away. After going about 50 yards he wheeled round to have 
a look at me. I fired point blank unluckily forgetting the 50 
yards he had gone, and the shell of the carbine threw up the 
dust right under him making him dash up the hill into the 
shola at his best pace, more frightened than hurt. 
1 had shot a bison, a young bull, and had left the carcass 
on the ground. Two days after as we passed near the spot 
1 turned off to see if a tiger had carried it away, and sure 
enough the bison was gone ; we found it near the nullah. It 
appeared as if it had only been carried off that afternoon ; one 
hind quarter was nearly demolished, so I determined to watch 
for the tiger on the morrow. As soon as I arrived at home 1 
had a light bamboo ladder made, as the underwood about was 
unpleasantly high. The next morning I started with the 
ladder and my little horse keeper. On approaching the spot 
we heard the tiger grunting (I cannot use a more expressive 
term) in the nullah, away on our right. On mounting the 
ladder 1 was glad to tmd the carcass still much in the same 
