We were on 3 elephants; Dhitoo, the obstinate, had made a kill. The morning air was cold and fragrant. We slowly ambled through the river and the grassland. This was Corbett at its best. The crows were pointing to the spot and soon the elephants could sense the presence of the tiger. Sitting on the Howdah I could feel the shiver pass through my elephant. Every one was alert and there was tension and excitement. As we grew close, the Mahawats brought the 3 elephants close to each other. One of the elephants stepped on a branch behind which Dhitoo was – a thunderous roar and a lightening charge. Dhitoo was a very big male tiger, the elephants were well trained and stood their ground, though a friend lost a sola topee in the excitement.

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