THE BIOGRAPHY OF A TIGER 17 



watched every movement of the monkey folk. Hence, 

 perchance, their very self-conscious affectation of in- 

 difference. 



The cold season had long since passed, and the late 

 morning sun now mounted steadily higher and hotter till 

 it blazed pitilessly in a deep cobalt sky, against which the 

 frescoed limbs of naked trees gleamed yellow-white and 

 bare. The woods were very still ; they were sinking into 

 the dead calm of burning noontide, when naught is to be 

 heard but the incessant " sizz sizz sizz " of crickets and 

 of cicadcs. 



Now it is at this very hour of high noon that old 

 lungoor, our wary presbyter of the forest, and his family 

 are wont to slake their thirst, so at last the troop aloft 

 began to shift uneasily and think of moving off to water 

 in some other ravine where tigers lay not and security 

 seemed assured. So there was a swaying of branches. 

 First one old hoary elder, then another, then the younger 

 members of the party ran along the accustomed thorough- 

 fare in the tree-tops. A spring, a clutch, a downward- 

 bending bough and rustling leaves. And so from tree to 

 tree. 



Slowly the herd passed away. Then the maiden lungoors 

 slender limb and drooping tail then the mothers fuss 

 and importance. At last none were left save a solitary 

 dame with her cachinnating infant. 



One last grab at a tempting succulent ttndti, one last 

 picking asunder and pouching of the tasty fruit, and she 

 rose, little one clasped to breast, walked down a curving 

 bough, paused nonchalantly an instant for the leap then, 

 oh horror ! she dropped her monkey-child ! a frantic, 

 despairing clutch ! but 'twas gone ! 



The young tiger below flinched and spat at something 



| that struck ground close beside him with a sudden whirl- 



j ing thud. He furtively glanced sidewise. A callow little 



| monkey lay there gasping and moaning thinly, then it 



C 



