A Maharajah's Adventures

A Maharajah of Bengal who became a noted sportsman shot his first
tiger when he was quite a small boy. When about twelve years of
age he went out on a shoot one cold weather on his estate. He was
accompanied by some of his relatives, and they encamped in one of
the forest bungalows. This bungalow was just an ordinary Assam house
built on a chang or raised platform. It consisted of a large centre
room with a bedroom on either side and a deep verandah in the front,
where the servants slept at night. Under large trees, some little
distance away, the elephants were chained, and not far off were
stables for the horses.

The Maharajah shared his room with a friend, a lad about two years
older than himself. One night between ten and eleven o'clock, when
all were in bed and asleep after a tiring day and an early dinner,
the near roaring of a tiger awakened the camp. In a twinkling the
servants had transferred themselves and their bedding from the verandah
into the centre room and securely bolted the door. Roar after roar
sounded through the night, but the young Maharajah slept the healthful
and deep sleep of tired childhood and the mighty voice of the lord
of the jungle did not disturb him. His friend was awakened by the
majestic sound and lay trembling with fear; envying his blissfully
unconscious companion, until the nearness of the tiger broke down
his self-control and, vigorously shaking his bed-fellow, he shouted
in his ear: "Tiger, tiger!"

The young Maharajah awoke, yawned, stretched and listened. The roaring
had ceased but under the bungalow they could hear the purring of a
tiger as it rubbed itself against a post. The younger and fearless
boy laughed with glee and assured his friend that there was no danger
of the tiger getting into the bungalow, and that on the morrow they
would be easily able to track and shoot it. Soon the sounds of purring
and rubbing gave place to others, and the occupants of the bungalow
realised that more than one tiger played beneath them. Next day in
the jungle near the forest bungalow the party shot a couple of tigers,
a tigress and her cubs.

In later years the Maharajah became famous for his shoots and many and
varied were his adventures and experiences. One year he was in camp
with a large party and they were out one afternoon after buffaloes. A
fine bull was driven out of a patch of thick jungle and faced the guns
with defiance in his eyes. He was a g