220 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA VS 
CHAP. 
any doubt about its existence, and we quickly re¬ 
formed, and beat back in exactly the same close 
order. Twice the charge was repeated, and each 
time the line was broken; one elephant received 
a trifling scratch, and the tiger had learned that a 
direct charge would enable it to escape. 
With only one gun it appeared to be a mere 
lottery, but the excitement was delightful, as there 
was no doubt concerning the tiger being alive, and 
very little doubt that it would continue its present 
tactics of crouching close-hidden in the dense thicket, 
and springing back through the line of elephants as 
they advanced. I now changed my position in the 
line, and taking with me two experienced elephants, 
I placed one on my right, the other on my left; we 
then advanced as slowly as it was possible for 
the elephants to move, every mahout having strict 
orders to keep a bright look-out, and to halt should 
he see the slightest movement in the bush before 
him. No animals were left in the jungle except the 
tiger, therefore any movement would be a certain 
sign of its presence. 
We had been advancing at the rate of about half 
a mile an hour, the elephants almost “ marking time,” 
when in about the centre of the jungle one of the 
mahouts raised his arm as a signal and halted his 
elephant. The whole line halted immediately. 
I rode towards the spot; the line opened, and 
the mahout explained that he distinctly saw the 
bushes move exactly in his front, not more than 
three or four paces in advance. He declared that 
