4o8 
WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS 
CHAP. 
Upon another occasion, at a place called Soondah 
in the same district, I was upon Hurri Ram ; I had 
been working through the high grass in the first- 
class reserves throughout the day, having killed a 
splendid stag sambur, when we were attracted by the 
peculiar short roar or moan made by a tigress calling 
either for her cub or for some male companion. 
This was in the sal forest, within a quarter of a 
mile of our position. It was a dangerous attempt, 
upon such an untrustworthy elephant as Hurri Ram, 
to look for a tiger in a thick sal jungle, as that 
species of tree grows in long straight trunks 
exceedingly close together, to an extent that would 
make it impossible for a large elephant to continue 
a direct course. Should the animal run away, the 
result would probably be fatal to the rider. We 
again heard the cry of the tiger repeated; this 
decided me to make the trial, and we entered the 
forest, carefully advancing, and scanning every 
direction. 
The sal tree produces one of the most valuable 
woods in India for building purposes, and for 
railway sleepers. The bark is black, which gives 
the forest a sombre appearance, and the trees grow 
perfectly straight, generally to a height of 30 or 40 
feet, before they divide into branches ; it may 
be readily imagined that an elephant would find 
a difficulty in threading its way through the narrow 
passages formed by these mast-like growths. In 
addition to this difficulty, there were numerous 
clumps of the tough male bamboo, which nothing 
