A TIGER KILLED. 
43 
were a few native huts., composing a small pic- 
turesque hamlet in the heart of an extensive forest. 
While the heaters were in the thicket shouting to 
scare the game into the open vista, an old elephant 
upon which one of the officers rode, accompanied by 
a wealthy native,, was seen to fix its eye upon a spot 
where there was a tolerably thick growth of high grass 
and underwood. In a short time something was seen 
to move on this spot, when the elephant, cautiously 
retreating, forced its body among the hushes of a 
thorny tree which grew with great luxuriance just 
on the edge of the vista. A moment after, springing 
violently forward, its riders were dismounted by the 
shock, and lodged, together with the Mahoot, among 
the boughs of the prickly canopy. The sagacious 
creature having reached the place whence it had 
previously retreated, with a sudden sharp cry plunged 
its head into the grass. In a few minutes it raised 
itself ; a tiger crawled from the covert, and lay pant- 
ing against a bank with two terrific wounds through 
its body. The elephant, now seeing that no further 
danger was to be apprehended, went back to the tree, 
thrust its body among the branches as before, allowed 
its disconcerted riders to remount, then advanced once 
more towards its dying enemy, and repeated the in- 
fliction ; at the same moment a shikarry terminated 
the tiger’s sufferings by shooting it through the head. 
Having skinned the beautiful beast, we returned with 
this trophy of our success, and with several fine deer, 
which we had the good fortune to encounter on our 
way. Thus, upon the whole, we had reason to be 
satisfied with our day’s sport. 
