Mineral Point tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1869-1938, 1875-10-14

| When he hears of a bullock having been
killed he proceeds To the spot and, erecting
platform Of leafy boughs in the nearest
tree, watches by night for the return of
the tiger who, though he may kill and lap
/ the blood during the day, never feeds be-
fore sunset. Generally he does not get a
shot, the tiger being extremely suspicious
when approaching his "kill," and the
shikaris being usually such burglars at
their work as to disturb him by the noise
Of their preparations. Often he misses
when he does shoot, the jungle king being
somewhat trying to the nerves and il he
kills one tiger in the course of the year
he considers himself lucky. His weapon
is long matchbox, which he loads with
six " fingers" of powder and two bullets.
| These fly "A little apart, and if they hit are
usually the death of the tiger His meth
cd of shooting is sometimes initiated by
lazy European sportsmen.
Another way of hunting ordinary tigers
is to beat them out of their midday re-
treat with u strong gang of bcaters, sup
piled with drums, fireworks, etc, the guns
themselves being posted al likely spots
ahead This plan is often successful
when the operations are directed by some
VI
however, the tiger is not found at all and
moreover he very commonly manages to
escape at the sides or break back through
the beat without coming up TO the guns
at all II has also the disadvantage OF ex
posing the heaters to much danger; and
there are few whosshoot in this fashion
who have not had more than one beater
killed before them. TO stalk in on tiger
in To 10 11v
ticable, as a man commands so little of
view in thick cover that he rarely sees the
tiger in time for n shot. In some places,
however, where tigers lie IN rocky places
inaccessible to elephants this is the only
way to do; and n very certain one it then
is, there being generally little cover and
plenty Of commanding elevations whence
to see and shoot The best way of hunt.
ing the tiger is undoubtedly that usually
adopted in Central India--namely: to
bring in the aid of the trained elephant
and follow and shoot him in his mid day
retreat. Anyone who thinks he has only
got to mount himself on the back OF an
elephant and go 10 IA jungle where he has
heard Of tigers, to make sure of killing
one, will find himself very much mis-
taken on trying. A number of sportsmcn
with "A large line OF elephants may kill
tigers it they simply beat through likely
covers for a long enough time and many
tigers are thus killed, or 10y driving the
| Jungle with bcaters, without the posses
sion of any skill in woodcralt whatever
! But no sort of hunting requires more
careful arrangements, greater knowledge
of the habits of the animal, perseverance
and good shooting than the pursuit OF the
| tiger by a single sportsman with a single
| elephant,
AT the outset of ones experience in for.
| est life il is impossible TO avoid the belief
| that the tiger of story is about to show
| himself at every step one takes in thick
| Jungle and il is not TIL every effort to
| meet with him has been used in vain that
! one realizes how very little danger from
! tigers attends a mere rambler in the jun
giles, During ten years of pretty constant
roaming about ON foot IN the most tigerish
! localities of the central provinces | have
only once come across IA tiger when ] was
not out shooting, and only twice more
| when | was not actually searching for IL
| gers to shoot In truth, excepting in the
| very haunts OF a known man-eatcr, there
| is no danger whatever in traverSing any
| part of the iungles OF this, or believe any
| other, part of India.
| Some people affect to despiso the praC-
| tice OF using elephants in following tigers,
| and talk good deal about shooting them
| on foot As regards danger to the sports
man nine.tenths of the tigers sad to be
| shot on foot are really killed from trees or
| rocks, where the sportsman is quite Sc
cure, The only danger then, is to the I'M
| fortunate heaters, If used; and when this
! IS not the case the sport generally resolves
! itself into an uudignltied Sneakng about
| the outskirts of the covers, in the hope of
| getting an occasional potShot from u Sc
! cure position, In this method of hunting
many more tigers are wounded than are
finally secured, the only danger lying in
following up a wounded animal, which is
usually avoided; and thus an innoCuouS
animal is often converted into a Scourge of
the country side. 4 very few SportSmen
do for short period of their lives make
a practice of hunting and shooting tigers
really on foot, but they are seldom very
successful and sooner or later get killed
or have such narrow escapes rs to cure
them Of such silly folly for the remainder
Of their days. \ man ON foot has no
chance whatever IN thick jungle with
tiger that is bent on killing him. Tie can
net see yard before him, and IS himself
conspicuous 20 every SeuSeotthe brute, who
can completely hide ina place that looks
scarcely enough 70 conceal a rat and can
move al will through the thjckeSt cover
without the slightest sound or stir. Al
The same time jhc sportsman who. as a
rule, uses an elephant in thick cover will
iud quite enough opportunities, in special
cases of testing his nerve on foot. par,iC.
ularly II he marks down and tracks his
own game instead OF employing Shikaris
tu do So, Even on the clephau, all IS not
perfect safety. instances being not r,-e ot
elephants being completely pulled down
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