Transcribe Hornaday, W. T. Letter to Ward, Henry A. (1877-09-01)

and sometimes out. His tracks were just about as big around as a saucer I think, and they looked appalling. The men (natives of course) asked me if I would dare to shoot at a tiger if we saw one; with that small rifle. I said “Yes, of course”. I was determined not yet to say “No” when there was no likelihood of our even seeing a tiger, would you? Well, we went on down the little stream, when suddenly the man in advance of me – the shikance – grasped my arm awfully hard and pointed through a clump of [brimboos] that we were standing behind. Great Caesar! There un the bed of the creek, thirty yards away, standing broadside, was old Stripes in all his glory. It was a beautiful, clear day, and if he didn’t look gorgeous I never saw anything that did. He seemed as big as an ox. Well, I had my plan all studied out long, long ago how I tho’t I could kill a tiger with my little rifle, so I knew just what I wanted to try to do. I waited about, a half minute until the beast looked full in my direction and then blazed away, aiming for his eye. Then I reloaded in an awful hurry. When I looked again he was in the same spot, turning slowly round & round in his tracks. When he came round just right I fired at his neck, aiming to hit the spinal chord, and at that shot he instantly fell. Reloading we went cautiously toward him – for my two men & boy had not bolted, as I supposed they would – and stood up on the bank watching his last agonies. He was hit very hard – couldn’t have been hit-harder – and in three minutes was stone dead. My first shot hit him exactly in the left eye and the second broke his neck in a most gratifying way. But wasn’t he an old rouser? He measured 9ft 8 ½ in as he lay, and he weighed 495 lbs, by the scales. The largest tigers do not exceed ten feet my more than 4 to six inches, and the average tiger is 8ft 4inches. So you see this one is first class. People may call me a fool for shooting at him on foot, with such a small, single barreled rifle and nothing to back it up, but you see I had him. Just exactly as I wanted him, and knew what the rifle could do. The first was the prettiest shot I ever made, considering everything, and just when it was most necessary. Carry the