Wild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1Baker, Samuel White, Sir
History
Wild Beasts and Their Ways, Reminiscences of Europe, Asia, Africa and America — Volume 1
Baker, Samuel White, Sir
Animal behavior; Hunting
Presently I saw the jungle shake, and a hog-deer dashed out within a few
yards of me; the elephant whisked suddenly round; this prepared me for a
display of his nervousness. Again the rose bushes moved, and I
distinctly observed a yellowish body stealing beneath the tangled mass;
it was quickly lost to sight. The line of beating elephants was coming
slowly forward, crashing their way through the bush, and occasionally
giving a shrill scream, when again I saw the bushes move; without
further introduction a very large tigress gave two or three roars, and
rushed out of the jungle exactly opposite my position, straight at my
elephant. Before I had time to raise my rifle, the elephant spun round
as though upon a pivot, and ran off for a few paces, making it
impossible for me to fire. The tiger, probably alarmed, turned back into
the secure fortress of wild rose.
We now knew that the tiger was positively between the line of elephants
and myself. I felt sure that it would not show again at the same place;
I therefore selected a favourable spot about 100 yards to my left upon
some slightly rising ground, and the elephants wheeled and beat directly
towards me.
Nothing moved except pigs, which all broke back at a wild rush between
the elephants' legs, two of which had slight cuts from the tusks of
boars, which had made a spiteful dig at the opposing legs whilst
passing.
At length the line arrived within 20 yards from the margin of the thick
jungle; here a regular rush took place; several hog-deer dashed back,
but at the same time a tiger bounded forward, and galloped across the
open grass-land in the direction of the neighbouring wild-rose covert.
The scouts holloaed, waved their puggarees, and then rode after the
tiger as hard as they could press their active elephants.
My steed Thompson had behaved disgracefully, as he had again twisted
suddenly round, and was so unsteady that although the tigress was not 10
yards from me I had not the power of firing; I accordingly relinquished
my favourite rifle '577, which I secured in the rack, and took in
exchange my handy No. 12 smooth-bore, which only weighed 7 lbs. With
that light weapon I knew I could take a quick flying shot; the
right-hand barrel was loaded with a spherical ball, and the left with 1
3/4 ounce S.S.G shot and 4 1/2 drams of powder. To load a cartridge case
(Kynoch's brass) with this charge, and a very thick felt wad, it is
necessary to fix the wad above the shot with thick gum, otherwise it
will not contain the extra quantity.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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