The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1914-07-05
ny &. r.. GOtEDsBtRN.

- sunni WISH IroU SoHlt passing oiii-
cial--he would see no European nor
even speak his own language except to
his English speaking clerk. Yet such Is
the life many an Englshman in India is
forced to live. and should he. unlike my
friend, not he a sportsman--or stationed
where no sport is to be habits life
must necessarily be a duh one. for how
ever Interested a man may be in his
work-as most are-stlll work without
some relaxation becomes monotonous
after a time, hence IL apt To be III done.
Besides, in a country teeming with
dangerous animals, sport, in the sense
OF shooting, Is not the mere killing for
amusement as IL is in Europe. but on
the contrary practically a necessity for
the protection of the people, who have
no means of protecting themselves
much less their Cattle-from the ravages
of these beasts.
During the course of my tour. for eX-
ample ii was no uncommon occurrence,
while marching through or hating near
n village. To find the people in panic
stricken condition owing to a tiger or a
leopard. as the case might he. having
taken up its position in some adjoining
jungle. whence II would carry off a bull
lock or calf at night time. and in these
one not only able but willing to wage
war against the beast was, as may be
imagined hailed with considerable de-
light. for they knew that even II
failed to kill the animal the mere fact
of taking my elephants through the
Jungle was sufficient to scare the brute
away. Many were the leopards l OBJ
tanned thus while on tour and a tiger or
two occasionally. but these were rare
events-rcd letters. in fact, some of
which have been already chronicled. and
others will be in their turn.
Three of these leopards remember
shooting one morning before "chota
hazri," and within half a mile Of the
camp. ] had been told on my arrival
the day before that a leopard had been
prowling round the village for some
days. Now, as it so happened, had re-
Gently been the victim of one or tive
false rumors as to the pres nee OF
leopard-based on the fact Of some vii
layers having heard one calling for
some nghts-and on this occasion as
there was but one small patch of grass
jungle near the village / was not in
clned to act on this Information.
My sporting orderly, however, after
inspecting this bit of grass, reported
that he had seen some crows lowering
over it as If watching the movements
OF an animal within, and suggested that
goat should he tied up near the cover
as a bait, which IL taken would keeI
the beast there. approved Of this sug'
gestion. and as goat was not available
procured an old, NANCY village cur
which we tied up before dark just outside
the grass. This may seem a cruel thing to
do. bu, as the poor brute besides beinl
eaten ~ with mango, was half para
lyzed ana a..,ost blind, / felt less COM
.pun,:.on THAI ] would otherwise have
dor.
y few days after this strange adven
tu:c my solitary wandeiings were
fond,d for a time by sudden meeting
with t. C,5trict mag .strate whose cam
Il can Don unexpectedly one morning
IE.lc 1T on my tents the night before
to - llage some twenty miles ahead
an Oh arriving there myself founC
thee, pitched near several others be
longing, as I discovered, to the magis'
trate, who. accompanied by the execu
tive engineer, had arrived there the
before.
had met both these men during tn
six weeks had been in the station afte
Joining and had been much interested
in the latter as being by reputation I'M
finest big game sportsman in the prov
ince.
Very pleasant were the days l passed
camping with the magistrate ana nj!
friend the sporting engineer, who de
spite the loss of his left arm was Still
an excellent shot. Utilizing the rails
Of his howdah as a rest he had by con
slant practice acquired the art Of using
his rifle with one hand as efficiently al
before and seldom missed an animal tc
his front or on either side of him.
The mornings from sunrise till late
breakfast about midday were devoted
70 our respective duties, either OF in
spection or in the hearing Of reports
and the afternoon to feather shooting
often combined with local inquiries o
Investigations. This was our dali,
routine except on rare occasions. such
as now to be recorded. when tiger
or leopard was reported. in which cast
from early dawn to sunset the day was
epent in the scarcely less importan
task of Kidding the neighborhood OF {
pest as obnoxious To the people as
burglar or "dacot."
one afternoon as We rode ictD new
camp the first news that We wer'
greeted with on arrival was that on
OF the "baits' had been killed the pre-
vious night.
Being too late to do anything tina
day a beat Was arranged for the mex
morning Some hours before sunris
the beating elephants were sent ou
to the cover and took up their position
as silently as possible, being placed 81
as to drive toward the forest, as 1t wa
unlikely the tiger could be induced 4
break in any other direction. Sool
after dawn the howdahs with the thre
sportsmen arrived and were posted a
intervals within the edge of the forest
concealed, yet commanding the com
paratively clear strip of ground between
them and the isolated jungle. The in
tervening space, being about l20 yard
wide, would give the guns a fair sport
ing chance.
The "shkaris" having posted tn
howdahs and duly noted their position
returned to marshal the line. leavin,
the sportsmen to complete their fina
preparations, such as placing rifles an
cartridges handy, cutting down twig
and branches that might he in thei
way, and to while away the wear,