46 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



by : by reason of which he too had grown cunning and 

 suspicious, never now returning to his " kill " without 

 much cautious circumambulation. 



On this wise had it fallen out, that, killing a grazier's 

 full-grown milch buffalo one foggy afternoon on the 

 grassy uplands of Khamla, he had dragged and left the 

 huge bulk of his prey within the border of a leafy copse, 

 and descended to the stream below, with the intention of 

 returning at dusk. 



In the long, rank grass under the close-set trees lay the 

 mighty carcase of the great milker, her short, thick upper- 

 most limbs projecting stiff in air, her shoulders torn and 

 lacerated, and her powerful neck twisted under her and 

 pierced with four great red gaping punctures. Of what 

 avail even her ponderous strength, her ugly, sharp, raking 

 horns, when pitted against the prowess of so formidable 

 an opponent ! True, she had faced him bravely, and 

 thrown him off, snarling, twice ; but what should that 

 count against a muscular strength that later, half lifting, 

 half dragging, had been able to transport her huge weight 

 over more than a hundred yards of soft ploughed fields 

 and that as easily as some poaching cat might drag away 

 a captured hare ! 



Neatly, too, had the destroyer's work been done 

 butchery, skilful and scientific. The great carcase had 

 been carefully disembowelled, the offal deposited in a 

 place by itself and apart, and covered up with grass and 

 leaves ; while the flesh, sweet and succulent, had been 

 dragged to a convenient spot further on, and there left to 

 await its destroyer's return. 



Until that day the tiger, whether his quarry were jungle 

 beasts or domestic cattle, had invariably returned to par- 

 take of his meal in undisturbed peace. But on this 

 occasion it was different. Not for nothing had the scene 

 of carnage been witnessed by a small boy, and the aid of 

 the village shikari invoked. 



