VI 
THE TIGER 
247 
oblique course throughout, and had torn the inside 
of the animal in a dreadful manner. The second 
shot, fired simply to extinguish the dying tiger, 
passed through both shoulders, but was found under 
the skin upon the opposite side, flattened exactly 
like a mushroom, into a diameter of about \\ inch 
at the head, leaving about half an inch of the base 
uninjured which represented the stalk. This was 
a large tiger, and remarkably thick and heavy, with 
strong and hard muscles, nevertheless the penetration 
of the soft leaden bullet was precisely correct for 
that quality of game. If the *577 bullet had been 
made of an admixture of tin or other alloy to produce 
extreme hardness, it would have passed through the 
body of the tiger with a high velocity, but the animal 
would have escaped the striking energy, which 
would not have been expended upon the resisting 
surface. It is the striking energy, the knocking-down 
power of a projectile, that is so necessary when 
hunting dangerous game. I cannot help repetition 
in enforcing this principle: there is a minimum 
amount of striking energy in a light hollow projectile, 
and a maximum amount in a solid heavy projectile ; 
keep the latter within the animal to ensure the effect 
of the blow; this will be eflected by a bullet made 
of pure lead without admixture with other metal, to 
flatten upon impact, and by the expansion of surface 
it will create a terrific wound; at the same time it 
will have sufficient momentum from its great weight 
to push forward, and to overcome the resistance of 
opposing bones and muscles. A very large tiger 
