ponse.

Putting in shot cartridge, I shot both the widgeon, but we were all
astounded to see the tiger we had so carefully and perseveringly
searched for, bound out of a crevice in the bank, almost right under
my elephant. Off he went with a smothered roar, that set our elephants
hurrying backwards and forwards. There was a commotion along the whole
line. The jungle was too dense for us to see anything. It was one more
proof how these hill tigers will lie close, even in the midst of a
line.

S. called out to me to remain quiet, and see if we could trace the
tiger's progress by any rustling in the cover. Looking down we saw the
kill, close to the edge of the water. A fast elephant was sent on
ahead, to try and ascertain whether the tiger was likely to break
beyond the circle of the little basin-shaped valley. We gathered round
the kill; it was quite fresh; a young buffalo. The Major told us that
in his experience, a male tiger always begins on the neck first. A
female always at the hind quarters. A few mouthfuls only had been
eaten, and according to the Major, it must have been a tigress, as the
part devoured was from the hind quarters.

While we were talking over these things, a frenzied shout from the
driver of our naka elephant caused us to look in his direction. He was
gesticulating wildly, and bawling at the top of his voice, 'Come, come
quickly, sahibs, the tiger is running away.'

Now commenced such a mad and hurried scramble as I have never
witnessed before or since, from the back of an elephant. As we tore
through the tangled dense green patair, the broad leaves crackled like
crashing branches, the huge elephants surged ahead like ships rocking
in a gale of wind, and the mahouts and attendants on the pad
elephants, shouted and urged on their shuffling animals, by excited
cries and resounding whacks.

In the retinue of the Major, were several men with elephant spears or
goads. These consist of a long, pliant, polished bamboo, with a sharp
spike at the end, which they call a _jhetha_. These men now came
hurrying round the ridge, among the opener grass, and as we emerged
from the heavy cover, they began goading the elephants behind and
urging them to their most furious pace. On ahead, nearly a quarter of
a mile away, we could see a huge tiger making off for the distant
morung, at a rapid sling trot. His lithe body shone before us, and
urged us to the most desperate efforts. It was almost a bare plateau.
Ther