266 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WA VS 
CHAP. 
After waiting at least ten minutes without a 
sound of any animal, I whistled for the elephant, and 
descending from my post, I rode towards the posi¬ 
tion of Sheik Jhan. 
A crowd of beaters were assembled, some of 
whom were engaged in searching for the bullets 
which he had fired, both of which had missed the 
tiger when within 1 2 yards’ distance, although 
marching slowly over the sands and rocks in the bed 
of a large river; the natives were digging with 
pointed sticks into a grassy mound of sand. 
Sheik Jhan described that an immense tiger had 
quietly passed close to him, but that no doubt it 
had a devil, as neither bullet had taken the least 
effect. 
This was the customary termination ; therefore 
no other course was left than to return to camp, the 
result having verified the prediction of the natives. 
We now steered direct for the carcase of the 
buffalo, about mile distant. Upon our arrival 
in the rocky bed of a dry river, where the smell 
of the tiger was extremely strong, we found the 
remains of the buffalo, a small portion of which had 
been eaten ; I was assured by those who knew the 
habits of this tiger that it would return during the 
night, and that upon the following morning we 
should certainly obtain another shot. 
I amused myself during the day by visiting the 
various smelting furnaces, all of which were upon 
a small scale, although numerous, and the method 
pursued was the same which I have found invariable 
