66 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
yards of the sharp corner, and the elephants marched 
forward, when a tremendous roar suddenly startled 
them in all directions, and one of the largest tigers 
I have ever seen sprang forward directly towards 
Nielmonn^, who, I am ashamed to say, spun round 
as though upon a pivot, and prevented me from 
taking a most splendid shot. The next instant the 
tiger had bounded back with several fierce roars, 
sending the line of elephants flying, and once more 
securing safety in the almost impervious jungle from 
which he had been driven. 
This was a most successful drive, but a terrible 
failure, owing entirely to the nervousness of my 
elephant. I never saw a worse jungle, and now that 
the tiger had been moved, it would be doubly 
awkward to deal with him, as he would either turn 
vicious and spring upon an elephant unawares from 
so dense a covert, or slink from place to place 
as the line advanced, but would never again face 
the open. 
I looked at my watch ; it was exactly half-past 
eight. The mahouts suggested that we should not 
disturb him, but give him time to sleep, and then 
beat for him in the afternoon. I did not believe in 
sleep after he had been so rudely aroused by a long 
line of elephants, but I clearly perceived that the 
mahouts did not enjoy the fun of beating in such 
dreadful jungle, and this they presently confessed, 
and expressed a wish to have me in the centre of 
the line, as there was no gun with the elephants 
should the tiger attack. 
