Archive image from page 284 of The diary of a sportsman. The diary of a sportsman naturalist in India . diaryofsportsman00steb Year: 1920 A REAL TIGER STORY 233 during a beat for tiger. The terrific heat is unnoticed. For to the real sportsman there is so much to study during the wait whilst the beating elephants are still distant. I was very interested, I remember, in the movements of some tiny tree creepers in the grass below me. Tiny little birds, as you know, their movements are extremely fascinating to watch. As they chmb up the stems of the great grasses, prying their beaks into the she
Archive image from page 284 of The diary of a sportsman. The diary of a sportsman naturalist in India . diaryofsportsman00steb Year: 1920 A REAL TIGER STORY 233 during a beat for tiger. The terrific heat is unnoticed. For to the real sportsman there is so much to study during the wait whilst the beating elephants are still distant. I was very interested, I remember, in the movements of some tiny tree creepers in the grass below me. Tiny little birds, as you know, their movements are extremely fascinating to watch. As they chmb up the stems of the great grasses, prying their beaks into the sheaths, one wonders whether a tithe of the insects they make their daily meal off are known to science. The little beggars were searching systematically the various parts of the stems and flowers and seeds of the tall elephant grass—the tiger grass, as I like to call it— for to my mind there is no fairer sight than to see a tiger coming open-mouthed and roaring at you through it. ' Meditating on these things, my attention was suddenly attracted by a slight rustle in the grass on the other side of the ravine ; or I thought it was a rustle different from that of the wind in the grass, from which we were somewhat protected here. I concentrated my attention on the spot, and held my breath, my whole body stiff and motionless. Suddenly, without a sound, a tiger looked out of the edge of the grass, just where it dipped somewhat into the ravine. Only his head appeared, the head of a fine, nearly full grown male tiger, framed in the long grass. He must have been on higher ground, or up on a stone, for he was far higher than I had ex- pected to see an animal appear; in fact, for a moment the thought crossed my mind that he was climbing up the grass stems. This notion was, of course, only momen- tary, and was replaced at once by my surmise of higher ground. As I recovered from my surprise, the head disappeared and silence reigned. None of us had budged an inch. The elephant very quietly
Size: 1221px × 1638px
Photo credit: © Actep Burstov / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1920, archive, biodiversity_heritage_library, book, bookauthor, bookdecade, bookpublisher, booksponsor, booksubject, bookyear, drawing, game_protection, historical, history, hunting, illustration, image, london_john_lane_new_york_john_lane_company, page, picture, print, reference, stebbing_edward_percy_1870_1960, vintage
