176 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
ceding night, when the vultures would have been 
at roost. 
The tigress is generally in advance of the male 
during a drive, should there be two together ; this 
should not be forgotten, and a sharp look-out should 
be directed upon the place from whence the tigress 
shall have emerged, as the shot must be taken at 
the rearmost animal, who would otherwise disappear 
immediately, and break back at the sound of the 
explosion. In all cases it is incumbent upon the 
watcher to study attentively every feature of the 
ground directly that he enters upon his post, so that 
he may be prepared for every eventuality ; he should 
thoroughly examine his surroundings, noting every 
little open space, every portion of dense bush, and 
form his opinion of the spot that would probably be 
the place of exit when the tiger should be driven to 
the margin of the covert. Tigers are frequently 
missed, or only slightly wounded, through utter 
carelessness in keeping a vigilant look-out. The 
watcher may have omitted to scan the details of the 
locality, and when unprepared for the interview, the 
tiger suddenly appears before him. Startled at 
the unexpected apparition, he fires too quickly, and 
with one bound the tiger vanishes from view, leaving 
the shooter in a state of misery at his miss, that may 
be imagined. Nearly all the fatalities in tiger-shoot¬ 
ing are caused by careless shooting, which necessi¬ 
tates the following up a blood-track ; it is therefore 
imperative that extreme care and coolness be 
observed in taking a steady aim at a vital portion of 
