The Empire County argus., 1855-03-17
EMPIRE COUNTY ARGUS
COiOma: Saturday, March IL, 1856.
For the Empire Co. Argus.
Adventure at Tiger Hunt.

Every young officer, on his arrival in India, is
attracted by the wonderful stories he hears of IT,
ger hunting; and if sportsman, has a strong de-
sire to participate in the sport My duties, in the
branch of the service to which belonged prevent
ed me, for some years. from indulgng my wishes
At last fortune favored me, and left the city of
palaces for station in the interior, in company
with two friends one Of whom an old hunter.
We had proceeded on our journey for nearly a
week, and passed through a country in some places
covered with jungle, and indcnted with deep null
lahs but no tiger crossed our path. On express
ing my surprise, one of my companions told me-
that during residence of nearly twenty years in
the country, he had never seen tiger unlese when
hunted up by the shikarrees native huntsmen.
These men are all Bheels born and bred in the
bush and trained up under some of the most ex-
pert European tiger hunters, they acquire extraor
binary tact and fearlessness in finding these fero-
cious and cunning animals.
The tiger seldom, unless disturbed leaves his
lair or cover during the day-night is his time fol
hunting his prey. From his weight he usually
leaves strong impressions of his paws on the sand,
or soft ground. 1t is from Observing these marks,
that the shkarrees are enabled to track the tiger
to his lair, other temporary retreat Constant
practice has taught them to distinguish between
old and recent marks. These last they follow and
trace up to They then make circuit,
and examine the ground all round. If no marks
are discovered leading from it. they conclude that
the animal or animals within that part of the
Jungle. They then climb up trees and dispatch
the horseman who attends them, to convey the
news.
We at length reached the station, and spent
few days very pleasantly, in recovering from the
effects of my journey. One morning Just we
were about to sit down to breakfast, two horsemen
rode up to the bungalow, with the news that a
child was missing from village few miles off,
and that tgress and two full-grown cubs had
been tracked and surrounded, within mile and
half Of us. Then, every thing was hustle and ex
element; nothing like the news of tiger, for
breaking up the dull and monotonous routine of
life in up-country station. Elephants were got
up, the howdahs adjusted, guns and ammunition
placed in them, and sent off in charge of some of
our people After a hasty breakfast, horses
were ordered, and off we started for the field Of
action.
The ravages committed by tigers on their cat
tle and sometimes, as in this case the disappear
ance of some individual of their community, in
duce the villagers to volunteer in large numbers to
assist in surrounding the tigers and continng them
to the loud laugh, or any other sound,
will send them Sinking back, when they endeavor
to steal out before they wanted.
We found a lare number of persons the
ground One of the three elephants was assigned
to me. | mounted the howdah, and found three
smooth, double -barreled guns--they were preferred
to rifles. The mahout, or conductor, was seated
on the elephants head and man with my ammu-
milton, behind me in the howdah. A party Of
horsemen were stationed round the cover, to watch
the tigers, and point out their retreat should they
break through the circle. The elephants were
placed in line about thirty or forty yards apart
and we began to move into the cover. Whilst rid
ing to the spot, the country appeared pretty level
and nearly covered with large bushes: but when
we got into cover, found it cut up in all direc
tions by deep, rocky nullahs, or rayines-the beds
of rushing torrents in the rainy season. but never
quite dry Most of the ground was covered by
moderately sized TIRE and large pricky pear BUSH
es the former in many parts forming an arch, by
the branches meeting from the opposite side. A
clear spot was found here and there, covered with
rank grass and weeds. burnt up by the sun. Our
progress was necessarily slow. The crashing OF
the boughs and trunks of the trees the elephants
forced them down with their trunks, or by leaning
against them, were the only indications Of our rel
atve positions. Sometimes we considerably
apart. had occasionally to use a Ratchet, to eX-
tricate myself from the twigs and small branches
which threatened to scratch out my eyes AT
length, on approaching one of the open spaces be-
fore mentioned, saw the tigress Sinking away
across it, her belly to the ground like huge cat,
within twenty yards Of me. | ordered the ma
hout to stop the elephant, to enable me to take
steadier aim fired both barrels, and struck the
brute in the neck. 1t Immediately fell on its back
Its futile attempts to reach the wounds with its
mouth, were Terrible it growed, and gnashed its
teeth in agony.
now ordered the mahout to advance imagin-
ing had nothing TO do but so in and settle It, |
found had made mistake The moment the ell
ephant began to move, it gained its feet, and in
two or three bounds reached the opposite thicket
pushed my elephant through, and in a short time
gained the outer edge of cover. was there joined
by my companions, and the horsemen told us the
wounded tigress hae escaped and taken refuge in