202 
IVILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA VS 
CHAP. 
halted, and remaining in view within 20 yards, only 
aggravated the terror of Sutchnimia, and she 
commenced shaking her colossal body like a dog 
that has just emerged from water. It was as much 
as we could do to hold on with both hands to the 
howdah rails; my watch was smashed, the cartridges 
in my belt were bent and doubled up against the 
pressure of the front rail and rendered useless, 
while the mahout was punching the head of his 
refractory animal with the iron spike, and the tiger 
was staring with astonishment at the display upon 
our side. 
This picture of helplessness did not last long; the 
tiger disappeared in the dense covert, and left me 
to vent my stock of rage upon the panic-stricken 
elephant. Twice I had endeavoured to raise my 
rifle, and I had been thrown violently against the 
howdah rail, which had fortunately withstood the 
shock. The tiger had broken back, therefore it 
was necessary to repeat the beat. I was of opinion 
that it would be advisable to take the elephants out 
of the tamarisk jungle, and to march them along 
the open ground, so as to re-enter exactly in the 
same place and in the same order as before. There 
could be no doubt that the tiger would hold to the 
thick covert until fairly driven out, and it would 
probably break upon the second beat where the guns 
were protecting the end and both sides of the 
hollow. 
The elephants were this time intensely excited, 
as they knew as well as we did that the game was 
