The Washington times., 1906-11-25
4 Woman Goes Tiger Hunting

2ss Of them-and a motley crowd they
are. Some carry sticks. some weird
old guns, some gongs, some rattles and
some bombs. and all give the impress
sion that they would rather be at home
minding the children than driving tigers.
We leave them. marshaIed under a shi-
kair. and 90 on some two miles further
10 places. As we are now passing close
10 where we hope our tiger is, caution
Is observed.
The last mile Is done on foot. and
when by accident / put my foot on
dry leaf the Shikari turns round with
such a furious glance that ! am filed
with shame. We find our machan. some
four trees stretched across q pass be-
tween TWO rocky hills. I may here men
ton that our guns are four-Major c.
Mr., h, my husband, and myself ! am
armed with 800 MannliCher really too
light a weapon unless the bullet is very
accurately placed
We had previously drawn for places.
and Major G. had drawn the post on
the right, which is accounted the best:
then my husband. then myself and then
Dir. h Our seats are some eight feet
up. and We get 10 them by a fraii bam-
boo ladder which sways IN a most uu-
comfortable way. as does the seat itself
when I get there. and I feel that as
Tar as 1 am concerned he viii be an
unlucky tiger who dies The ladder is
taken away and. tucked up IN the most
uncomfortable attitude, I wait Ones
ears and eyes are on tension for the
slightest noise or movement. and ones
principal sensations are heat and flies
All seems TO be peace and quiet. and I
N 1la HHH z
OF the other guns through tho jungle.
At last some two miles distant there
is a shot. presumably a signal, as 81 e
followed by the most prodigious pande-
monium. howIs and screams. trumpets
and gongs, continuing. Two sambur
burst from the thicket and trot right
beneath my seat. adding to the excite
ment within me. which is almost too
great as II Is. Nearer and nearer comes
the noise, but no tiger. Suddenly I
hear. away on my left. a gentle hand
clapping, and redoubls my attention, for
this is a stop placed In a tree, who
must have caught sight OF d tiger
Surely nothing can move over the bare
ground I'm front for 100 yards without
my seeing it, while keep my eyes pass
ing along the fringe OF the thicker
jungle. But it does, for suddenly bring
ing my gaze nearer to me. 1 see about
forty yards of on my right front q huge
tiger stealing forward, which, II seems
10 me, must have dropped from the
sky. Now, the first and most important
don L OF tiger shooting is firing at a
tiger in front of you. Unless you Kill
him dead he viii probably turn back,
and IN al probability you viii be re-
spOnsible for a coolies death
] resist the fprurrafiov1 mora gfFvy
he is moving straight toward my hus-
band. However. as a matter OF fact. ne
turns little and crosses the line about
forty yards from his tree. He stops
and leIsuTely turns 70 listen 20 the
heaters, his tail waving angrily from
side TO side. Bang, My husband. Uu
my right. has 1red. The tiger gives a
terrible roar. with three or four bounds.
comes straight toward me and dashes
right underneath my machan.
AS he comes underneath I fire straight
down on him. but although he is with
In three or four yards Of me. such is
HIS pace that l feel my shot IS almost in
the nature OF q forlorn hope, AS mat
ter Of fact a shot OF this description
is, I am told. no easy matter. even for
an experienced shikari. On he goes
straight by the last of the guns, Mr..
H. then his pace slaciIens TO a steady
gallOp. Surely we Will get himi But
no. Two barrels go of, and on he goes
up and over the side of the hill.
Down we Chamber as soon as may be,
and. Joining in a cluster. all talk at
once. My husband says that he hit him,
giving as his reason that the dyer was
SO close and such an easy Bhot that
he couldn't have missed However. we
find his bullet imbedded in the tree
against which the tiger stood at q
height of about three feet from the
ground-that is, about two or three
inches over the back. With the first
shots fired from a tree or elephant this
Is the almost invariable mistake. Silent
ly we turn our heads toward home. and
/ hope that 1 never form ane OF 80
miserable a party again!