200 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA YS 
CHAP. 
vegetation; and although this lower level was not 
wider than 8o or 90 yards, it was quite a quarter of 
a mile in length. 
Neither the mahouts nor their animals appeared 
to enjoy the fun of beating out this piece of dense 
covert, as they were well aware that the tiger was 
“ at home.” As it was absolutely necessary to form 
and keep a perfect line, the elephants being shoulder 
to shoulder, I begged the Rajah and his friends to 
ride towards the terminus of the tamarisk bottom, 
placing a gun at the extreme end and upon either 
side ; while I should accompany the beaters to keep 
a correct line, and to drive the covert towards them. 
I felt sure that by this arrangement the tiger could 
not escape without being seen. 
This was well carried out ; they took their places, 
and after some delay I managed to collect about 
forty elephants into a straight line, not more than 
4 or 6 feet from each other. The word was given 
for the advance, and the effect was splendid. The 
crash through the yielding mass was overpowering ; 
the dark plumes of the tamarisk bowed down before 
the irresistible phalanx of elephants; the crackling 
of the broken stems was like the sound of fire 
rushing through a cane-brake, and this was enlivened 
by sudden nervous squeals, loud trumpets, sharp 
blows of kettle-drums, deep roars, and all the 
numerous sounds which elephants produce when in 
a state of high nervous excitement. I felt sure that 
at times the tiger was only a few feet in our advance, 
and that it was slinking away before the line. 
