lephants, rebeat the same
jungle and bagged two.

In every hunt, one member is told off to look after the forage and
grain for the elephants. One attends to the cooking and requirements
of the table, one acts as paymaster and keeper of accounts, while the
most experienced is unanimously elected captain, and takes general
direction of every movement of the line. He decides on the plan of
operations for the day, gives each his place in the line, and for the
time, becomes an irresponsible autocrat, whose word is law, and
against whose decision there is no appeal.

Scouts are sent out during the night, and bring in reports from all
parts of the jungle in the early morning, while we are discussing
_chota baziree_, our early morning meal. If tiger is reported, or a
kill has been discovered, we form line in silence, and without noise
bear down direct on the spot. In the captain's howdah are three flags.
A blue flag flying means that only tiger or rhinoceros are to be shot
at. A red flag signifies that we are to have general firing, in fact
that we may blaze away at any game that may be afoot, and the white
flag shews us that we are on our homeward way, and then also may shoot
at anything we can get, break the line, or do whatever we choose. On
the flanks are generally posted the best shots of the party. The
captain, as a rule, keeps to the centre of the line. Frequently one
man and elephant is sent on ahead to some opening or dry water-bed, to
see that no cunning tiger sneaks away unseen. This vedette is called
_naka_. All experienced sportsmen employ a naka, and not unfrequently
where the ground is difficult, two are sent ahead. The naka is a most
important post, and the holder will often get a lucky shot at some
wary veteran trying to sneak off, and may perhaps bag the only tiger
of the day. The mere knowledge that there is an elephant on ahead,
will often keep tigers from trying to get away. They prefer to face
the known danger of the line behind, to the unknown danger in front,
and in all cases where there is a big party a naka should be sent on
ahead.

Tigers can be, and are, shot on the Koosee plains all the year round,
but the big hunts take place in the months of March, April, and May,
when the hot west winds are blowing, and when the jungle has got
considerably trampled down by the herds of cattle grazing in the
tangled wilderness of tall grass. Innumerable small paths shew where
the cattle wander backward and for