Year: 1874

Negode, CENTRAL Pforface, India


First, | must tell you this is one of the
finest districts in India for shooting
less forests and hills full Of wild beasts /;
then must tell you that you cannot shoot
except on foot, practice | have always
looked upon, and still look upon, when
shooting tigers, as an act of folly, although
| am guilty of the same, and in spite Of
having desperately made vow to leave it
of, find myself cat it again" On the
second day after arriving at my camp
was walking by the bed of the Cane river,
through some heavy bush willow covert,
when came upon girl, with her child,
fishing. l went up TO her and told her
she was doing very foolish thing, for IT,
gers were about, and | advised her to 60
away she laughed and told me no tiger
would take her, and she had done 1t for a
long time, warned her again, and went
on my way. got to my tents about 8
P. NJ, and an hour after saw n man run
ming towards them. He came up to me
and said, half an hour after | left, the
poor girl had been carried off by tiger,
but the child had escaped II was the
work of moment to get my guns and men
out, and | took ten men off to the place at
once, not TO shoot the beast, for it was too
late and dark to wake up tigers then. /
put the ten men up trees to remain there
all night and see if the tiger left the place,
and promised to be there at daylight.
knew, Of course, that the unfortunate girl
was eaten up long before | got there SO
it was of no use doing anything else. At
daylight | went off, and cautiously going
up to tree after tree where | had placed
the men, found that he was "at home :" he
had come out to drink and retired into
some thick covert. | sent all my men
away but two, with spare rifles, and ap-
preached the covert very quietly and care
fully when within ten PAGES Of it / heard
grumbling sound, and had just time to
cock my rife, when out he came with
rush clean at me; but, by steady GOODNESS
| gave him ball, or rather shell, through
the head, which burst aud blew it to hits,
laying him dead. My men came up to
congratulate me, and | was talking to
them, when to my astonishment, | heard
roar to my right, near, and on turn.
ing around saw another huge tiger walking
quietly down towards me. All the beaters
set up shout and bolted, which haste un-
fortunately turned the tiger, and he was
making off up a ravine, when | gave him
ball behind, but for that day lost him,
though tracked him by his blood for
long way. The next day heard of an
other tiger having killed COW about seven
miles of. | went and found it oil right;
going up cautiously to the hill l saw
monster sneaking away about forty yards
from me. gave him ball, and round
he came ut me like demon. was in
narrow gorge and did not half like it. /
gave him another ball, which turned him
in the grass, and ! lost sight of him. A
wounded tiger is always most formidable,
and 1t is fearfully dangerous moving about
in their vicinity; 50 | did not stir, in hopes
he might como back to me and give me
the advantage, or that should hear him
growing his death song out but he did
neither. A man in a tree said he had
made up the hill and down the other side !;
so off went, ordering all the beaters out
of the jungle to the top of the highest hill,
with instructions to stay there together till
| sent for them. went off with my two
shikarecs and keepers with spare rifles, to
look where he had gone. l was moving
most gingerly, in horrid funk, when
roar and rush came at once from the grass
not ten yards from me. l gave him two
balls right and left, slap in the chest, as he
charged, but it did not stop him aud /
had only just time to snatch my single shell
rifle from the keeper and give him (the
tiger shell in the chest again, which
burst inside and smashed his shoulder all
to bits he rolled over within three PAGES
biting and tearing the ground. l took
another rifle and waited on him, for it was
a grand sight to see his rage. | then saw
that the reason he could not come on, was
his hind leg was smashed on the same side
by one of my first bullets, which passed
through his chest, and he could not get
up with two legs broken on one side. This
was most fortunate, for had the she'll not
broken that shoulder nothing could have
saved me ! He must have come home be-
fore | could have given him another bar
rel. | finished him with ball through
the head, and more magnificent brute
never saw. | was very glad to have es-
capped, and then thought what an ass was
for running such risks. However, my
next lark with them was most wonderful
business, and Gods mercy alone saved me.
| heard of another hill by the bed of the
river, all immense boulder stones, and
heavy bush willow jungle. OF l went,
and having taken up position at the end
Of a sort of island, told the bcaters to 20
up the bank all around and try if he was
there, by throwing in volleys Of stones,
I was standing quietly waiting, when to
my horror three huge tigers walked out
touching one another. There was no re-
treating, the beasts saw me in their road,
and I knew l must fight II out 50 open
cd the ball, and as the leading one looked