VI 
THE TIGER 
183 
native who had witnessed the attack. This man 
declared that the tiger must be lying in a dense 
thicket covering a deep hollow of about 10 acres, to 
which it had retreated when charged by the two 
buffaloes ; he advised that we should lose no time, but 
organise a drive at once, as the tiger, having been 
frightened by the buffaloes, would probably depart 
from the locality during the night. 
My shikari argued against this suggestion. He was 
of opinion that the tiger might not be lying in the 
hollow, as there was much broken ground and jungle 
in the immediate neighbourhood, including many 
dense and deep nullahs that might have formed a 
retreat: if the tiger should happen to be within one 
of those places, it would be outside the drive, and 
would be frightened away by the noise of the beaters 
should we drive the hollow, and it would escape 
unseen. If, on the other hand, the tiger should be 
lying in any spot within a radius of half a mile, it 
would be very hungry, as proved by its attack upon 
the cow during broad daylight, and it would assur¬ 
edly kill one or both of the baits, and remain with its 
prey, if we should tie up two young buffaloes that 
night; we should then be certain to have it within 
the drive on the following morning. 
This was sound reasoning, and according to rule ; 
but the native argued that the tiger, having been 
knocked over and pounded by the buffaloes, would 
be so cowed that it would decline to attack the 
young buffaloes that might be secured to trees as 
baits ; it would, on the contrary, avoid anything in 
