Year: 1878

Inc eIepQdQIS LIldJ morning NSLo uAt-
usually uneasy and fdgety, and, had no
doubt, instructive knowledge that they
would soon be called upon to engage in
other than their ordinary daily duty.


Elephants in some ways much resem-
bic horses, and most particularly in this
respect-that, as long as they have their
wits about them, they can be trusted to
display mora than ordinary sagacity
but once they lose their heads or become
furried, then there is an end Of all hope
of making them behave otherwise than
in the most idiOtic manner.


As we logged along the jerky motion
that the elephant lent to the howdah,
which was passed on to me, its occupant,
was anything but pleasant; however, in
time usage made it less and less unbear-
able. until at length rather liked it than
otherwise.


Standing on the animals back behind
each howdah, and holding on to the
same, was a shikari, whose duty it was to
keep a sharp lookout and to apprise US
the instant he spied game Of any sort.
The practiced eyes of these fellows as
tonished me considerably. Though al
ways carefully on the alert myself, never
once did sight game without my shik-
ari having done SO and pointed it out to
before hand.


We had thiriecl elephants all told,
were pushing our way through a very
small field, which brought us rather too
close to one another, when suddenly my
shikari, in an excited manner, pointed
straight to the elephants head; but l,
with straining my eyes, could see nothing.
Keenly alert for some sign of life, was
soon startled by a quick, rushing sound
quite close. and the next instant the
crack of two or three rifles was heard.


"We've killed a big tigerP suddenly
shouted one Of our party, to winch we
laconicaIly replied, ooh, ahP


But it was a fact. He had seen the
beast standing in a path we were follow
ing, and shot him in the chest, +. finish
ing him with shell.


He was a beauty, not very long, but
very muscular and thick-set-the picture
of physical strength. Those who have
seen tigers forearm after the SKIN has
been taken on, revealing the blue mus
Gle and sinew, have seen the perfection
Of physical organization.


Some two hours after the kill, an event
happened that provoked considerable
amount of merriment among the rest OF
the party, but which to me was anything
but mirth-inspiriting, One of our party
had knocked over deer, which, on being
hit, cried most pitiously. My elephant,
on hearing the sounds, stopped suddenly,
paved for a moment, then turning sharp
around, ran away as hard as he could 60,
at the same time brandishing his trunk
and tail in the air. and believing with
all his might, as If the bullet had hit
him and not the deer.


As luck would have it, there were very
few trees about; if there had been many,
the howdah and would in all probabil-
ity very soon have formed a mixed ruin
on the ground. As it was, the hOwdah
swayed in the most awkward and alarm
ing manner, and seemed likely at any
moment to jerk itself free from its fasten-
ings.


Not particularly caring for the motion,
and not knowing how far the joke might
be extended, shouted to the mahout to
stop the brute, he all the time making
frantic enaeavors to do so by belaborlnggi
in the most relentless manner, the skull
of the terrified beast with an iron crook
that he was welding with both hands.
1t was all of no use, and not till ne re-
sorted to the cruel plan of digging the
crook into the animals flesh did he man
age to pull him up.


We Wended our way to reedy swamp,
distant some three miles. On the far
side was high bank, and then the for
est began.


The reeds had been burned to some
extent, and the water had dried up,
leaving the ground sticky rather than
swampy. and into this we urged our un-
willing elephants. After while friend
fired twice, and he called out to us that
he had killed q tiger that had been
sneaking slowly toward the wood.


On crossing and dismounting, we found
that one shot had missed completely, and
that the other had gone through his
back, passing near the heart. There
were two or three old wounds, which the
poor beast had licked and thus healed;
but one bullet had gone through the ball
of the fore paw, and had evidently caused
exquisite pain. The tiger had been unable
to forage for himself, and was evidently
starving. His was happy release.


The next beat strip of country inter
sected by the dry bed of mountain
stream, where some years before party,
including myself, had killed fine tigress.
The grass had been burnt. and there was
no covert for large game. For some
miles we followed the course Of this
ravine.


At some distance we saw the elephants
being hurried by the nlahouts in y par