The National tribune., 1899-08-03

upon the mother, it is a Law of life among
wild beasts for them TO become naturally
Indifferent, and if the young one in cues
tio1-fier son undoubtedly, but scarcely
the progeny of that animal she then con-
sorted with-remained in company with his
parent. nothing can he less likely than such
an association as a result OF affection.
So far Stripes" himself made no charges;
in point Of fact, he hal done little besiieS
plunge about and roar. Furthermore, not
at command, and had not become possessed
by the wild, desperate rage which comes
, upon tiger after being hit.
We saw him once or twice flash across an
opening as our elephants made their way
through the jungle; but it soon grew
deathly still again, except for crashing
of those huge creatures among broken
brush. This place was quartered thor
oughly, or with so much completeness as
was possible for men in howdahs. To
send out trackers would have been mon
strous. The intricacies of such cover gave
every advantage to our enemy. Natural
aptitude and protective coloring have given
tigers amazing powers of coacealment. In
such spots as this they can hear, see, or
move about, while a man is to all intents
deaf, blind, and helpless. Creeping after
such an animal in thick underground is
! infinitely worse than standing out to meet
| its charge.
Anyway, it looked as if this brute was
gone, and after some further search we con-
cluded that it had taken TO the grass. I'm
| der these circumstances our party followed
out into the fierce blaze again, steering
| in the direction where an escape must have
| been made. Intervals between elephants
were now increased, and our line became
quite Il long ore.
But very little manuvering needed to be
| done, there being only one object; namely,
| TO sweep as much ground as possible and
pyarriIa tho tinar 10 could not of
course be seen in herbage six feet high;
yet it was certain that this flight would
| not extend far. while any progress on his
| part was impossible without moving the
tips of grass stalks. This was what we
We're looking for-that peculiar setof waves
| Stripes always leaves in his wake, and
| which are hardly to be mistaken for those
made by any other beast.
Imagine the shadow Of an immense
crawling snake thrown upon a g!ittering
yellow surface; it will represent that sign
| we sought for exactly. Discovered, more
over, after travelling but a short distance,
when the unmistakable ripple broke out
| ahead. Khudeck saw it, and leaping upon
his pad sigaalled like a demoniac; our
flanks wheeled inward, and then the whole
| line closed with rush. Surely an i'm
preSSiye though tumultuouS and barbaric
scene it was, this still, shining expanse
suddenly torn up by a crowd Of screaming
| elephants driven at speed; their huge, dark
bodies looming through clouds Of lurid
dust and flying wrack. They could go
faster than the tiger on such ground, and
he knew it, Grim and terrible that great
head rose as he reared TO look around, and
while his hoarse war cry doomed over the
plain he came Oh at last in his own mag
nificent way.
| II seemed bit n moment before an ele-
phant crashed down. pulled on its head and
rolled over by the impetus Of its own charge.
Imminent death menaced both riders; vet
as their comrades strove to give aid, amidst
!. that surge of mighty forms, and those yels
and curses which burst from frantic ma
J houtS trying 10 stop, figure arose from this
floundering mass, and Shot the tiger dead
as he stood tearing an unfortunate man
already slain by n stroke of his DaW He
, who performed this cool and gallant act was
Capt. Montel, the hero of our big boar hunt
} Khudeck was a sight to see. Consterna.
! ton at another tragedy, gratified pride in
that success which had been mainly brought
about by his own skill, and bitter indigna
ton against the infamous Chunder Dunt
possessed him. Nevertheless, he did no,
, venture 10 express this latter feeling before
the elephant, thinking it likely the beast
might understand. and sudden destruction
oyertake him next time he came within
reach. Going homeward, however, with
that culprit out of earShot in front ollr
chief shikari relieved himself with an eX.
: preston of such opinions concerning the
said Chunder, his direct ancestry, and all
collateral branches of the family, as would
infallibly have occasioned a catastruphe il
overheard and had Khudecks notions
about elephants been at all true. More
! over, these yituperations We're announced