26 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



part the little herd of sambar observed a profound quiet. 

 The moon shone clear out in the open, the gentle night 

 swung on her soft sweet course, the stars twinkled down 

 brightly on the silent scene. All was wrapped in a calm, 

 kindly peace, a perfection of lulling repose that seemed 

 to woo every sense into a feeling of quiet security ; but it 

 was the smooth treachery, the deadly dissimulation of the 

 jungle by night. 



Suddenly, noiseless as a shadow, another figure joined 

 that of the sentry, and two hinds were now clearly out- 

 lined in silhouette. Their muzzles began to go out and 

 down to be quickly raised again with a jerk ! Their great 

 ears hinged forward, then back, then forward again. They 

 were gazing intently, fixedly, into the velvety shadows of 

 the big trees. 



All of a sudden one of them ran a few quick steps and 

 halted, watchful, with outstretched neck. " Ponk ! " rang 

 out her abrupt trumpet-note of warning, and echoed up 

 the narrow glen. 



"Whee-6nk! n she belled again. Whee-6nk T and 

 startled hoofs were heard stamping in the dark round the 

 pool. Then they too ceased, and all was still as before. 



The old hind remained listening, her long head poked 

 anxiously forward, her cold wet muzzle glistening in the 

 moonlight into which she had now emerged, her large 

 widespread ears twitching slowly now and again. Often 

 had she played this game before better far to stand thus 

 than run into some unknown danger. Perhaps after all it 

 was some false alarm, and the peril was one of imagination 

 alone. 



So long did this phase continue that her stiffly posed 

 shape might well have been taken for that of a spectral 

 deer, or perhaps some fantastically twisted tree-stump. 

 But there was a feeling of vague unrest, of danger, in the 

 air of the old Khari that night, a mysterious menacing 

 fear, brooding and lurking under the heavy trees. 



