Pressing on at a rapid jolting trot, we dashed after him in hot pursuit.  The jungle seemed somewhat lighter on ahead.  In the distance we could see some dangurs at work breaking up land, and to the right was a small collection of huts with a beautiful riband of green crops, a perfect oasis in the wilderness of sand and parched up grass.  Forming into line we pressed on.  The tiger was evidently lying up, probably deterred from breaking across the open by the sight of the dangurs at work.  My heart was bounding with excitement.  We were all intensely eager, and thought no more of the hot wind and blinding dust.  Just then Captain S. saw the brute sneaking along to the left of the line, trying to outflank us, and break back.  He fired two shots rapidly with his Express, and the second one, taking effect in the neck of the tiger, bowled him over as he stood.  He was a mangy-looking brute, badly marked, and measured eight feet eleven inches.  He did not have a chance of charging, and probably had little heart for a fight.

We soon had him padded, and then proceeded straight north, to the scene of the Major’s encounter with the tiger in the morning.  The jungle was well trampled down; there were numerous streams and pools of water, occasional clumps of bamboos, and abrupt ridgy undulations.  It was the very jungle for tiger, and elated by our success in having bagged one already, we were all in high spirits.  The line of fire we could see far in the distance, sweeping on like the march of fate, and we could have shot numerous deer, but reserved our fire for nobler game.  It was getting well on in the afternoon when we came up to the kair jungle.  We beat right up to where the man had been seized, and could see the marks of the struggle distinctly enough.  We beat right through the jungle with no result, and as it was now getting rather late, the old Major signified his desire to bid us good evening.  As this meant depriving us of eight elephants, we prevailed on him to try one spare straggling corner that we had not gone through.  He laughed the idea to scorn of getting a tiger there, saying there was no cover.  One elephant, however, was sent while we were talking.  Our elephants were all standing in a group, and the mahout on his solitary elephant was listlessly jogging on in a purposeless and desultory manner, when we suddenly heard the elephant pipe out a shrill note of alarm, and the mahout yelled ‘Bagh!  Bagh!’ tiger! tiger!  The Captain was again the lucky man.  The tiger, a much finer and stronger built animal than the one we had already killed, was standing not eighty paces off, shewing his teeth, his bristles erect, and evidently in a bad temper.  He had been crouching among some low bushes, and seeing the elephant bearing directly down on him, he no doubt imagined his retreat had been discovered.  At all events there he was, and he presented a splendid aim.  He was a noble-looking specimen as he stood there grim and defiant.  Captain S. took aim, and lodged an Express bullet in his chest.  It made a fearful wound, and the ferocious brute writhed and rolled about in agony.  We quickly surrounded him, and a bullet behind the ear from my No. 16 put an end to his misery.