The slope upon which the jungle was situated drained towards an exceedingly deep and broad nullah; this formed the main channel, into which numerous smaller nullahs converged from the surrounding inclination. The general character of the country was withered grass upon numerous slopes, the tops of which were covered with low jungle. At the lower portion of the deep nullah there was a small but important pool of water, as it was the only drinking-place within a distance of 2 miles. As usual, there was a sandbank around this deep pool, which, being in the bend of the nullah, had been swept out of the opposing bank and deposited near, the drinking-hole. Upon this sandy surface we found several tracks of tigers, and we arrived at the conclusion that a tiger and tigress had been together, and that I had killed the male on the occasion of the accident; the female would therefore be the animal of which we were in search. The nullah was about 20 yards across and 30 feet in depth; the banks were in most places perpendicular, and the bottom was rough with stones, intermingled with bushes, most of which had lost their foliage. It was quite possible that, after drinking the tigress might have lain down to sleep among the bushes, where the hollowed bank afforded a cool shade; but I did not like to send men into the dangerous bottom, and the banks were so steep that the elephants could not possibly descend. About 400 paces distant, a large tree grew from the right bank, and the branches overhung the nullah; I therefore suggested to Berry that he should take up a position in the boughs, and that we would beat towards him by pelting the bottom of the ravine with stones; should the tigress break back, I could stop her from the howdah, and should she move forward, she must pass directly beneath the tree upon which Berry would be seated. This plan was carried out, but the plucky policeman insisted upon descending into the nullah and walking up the bottom, while the natives upon either side bombarded the banks with stones. There was absolutely nothing alive in that inviting nullah. I had walked Moolah Bux slowly along, looking down from the margin of the ravine, and upon arrival at Berry's perch I took him up behind me in the rear compartment of the howdah. I felt almost sure that, although we had drawn a blank up to the present time, the tigress would be lying somewhere among the numerous deep but narrow nullahs which drained into the main channel that we had just examined. We therefore determined to leave all the men seated upon a knoll on the highest ground, while we should try the various nullahs upon Moolah Bux; as he could walk slowly along the margin so close to the edge that we should be able to look down into the bottom of each ravine, and in the parched state of vegetation nothing could escape our view.