Tales out of school

by Frank R. Stockton

The next time the Colonel and Major Alden went out after tigers they were on an elephant. They rode in a large wooden box on the elephant’s back, in which they could stand and fire without much fear of a tiger getting at them. They had wonderful success, for they came upon no less than five tigers, out in an open space. One of these was soon killed, and the others ran away in different directions, like enormous kittens.

But before they got entirely away another was shot dead, and two more, that ran behind some great rocks, were followed up, and killed before night.

But one very large one slipped off, growling savagely, into some reeds by the river bank, and was lost. This tiger was the largest and most dangerous of the lot, and the man who drove the elephant said he knew him very well.

He asserted that this tiger was a man-eater, as a tiger is called that has once killed a human being. Ever afterward, according to the native traditions, he has a strong liking for a man for dinner.

THEY CAME UPON NO LESS THAN FIVE TIGERS.

The driver said he had seen him kill a man, and that he knew him by his peculiar markings. Whether this story was true or not, it was evident that this was a very large and dangerous beast, and ought to be killed, if such a thing should prove possible.

So, a few days afterwards, a large hunt was organized, having for its object the destruction of this particular tiger. The party went out mounted on three elephants—two men in each howdah or box, and a driver on each elephant’s neck. Besides the riders, there were about fifty natives on foot, who went along to beat up the bushes and make themselves generally useful.

The Colonel and Major Alden were not together this time, but were on different elephants. Colonel Myles’ companion was a military man who was a very good shot and quite a noted tiger hunter. His name was Captain Harrison, and our friend was very glad to go with him, because he had the best elephants and was likely to see the best sport.

There is a very great difference in the elephants that are taken on tiger hunts. Some of them will get frightened and run away the moment they see or hear a tiger, and then the hunters on their backs have not much of a chance to get a shot at the beasts. But others will stand their ground bravely, and the elephant that carried the Colonel was said to be one of these.