142 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



Was it, then, that my poor shot last year was indirectly 

 responsible for at least another human life? Had that 

 panther escaped to claim at least this other victim ? 



The sun had sunk over the opposite hillsides, so I turned 

 with relief from such discomforting thoughts to superin- 

 tend the building of the machdn in which I was to spend 

 the night. 



Not a single good tree was to be found : all were either 

 stunted salai or other small wood. However, the difficulty 

 was surmounted by cutting three long poles in the neigh- 

 bouring ravine ; and, lashing them upright to supplement 

 the flabby boughs of the nearest salai tree, a rough plat- 

 form was erected at a height of some fifteen feet from the 

 ground. Some bran was scattered round the remains of 

 the old woman, which had been dragged away from the 

 shadow of the bamboos and tied firmly by the arm to a 

 sapling. 



It was rapidly getting dark when the men moved off; 

 and my orderly and myself were left sitting, listening to 

 their footsteps dying away in the fallen leaves. 



As a rule I sit alone for panthers ; but on this occasion 

 I preferred the company of my orderly ; which, as events 

 proved, was a fortunate decision on my part. 



It was a dark night : that is to say, we should have no 

 moon until about four in the morning, and then only a thin 

 and waning sickle. I had fitted my night-sight to my gun, 

 in which I had placed a couple of cartridges loaded with 

 slugs. This night-sight consisted of an ordinary visiting 

 card, into the end of which a V-shaped cut had been 

 made. When this card has been fastened to the top rib of 

 one's gun by a couple of rubber rings, the bottom of the 

 V fitted against the barleycorn, or foresight, and the ear- 

 like flaps raised, I know of few better aids to shooting 

 by night, provided there is some glimmer of light. Aim 

 is taken by getting the object between the flaps of the 

 white card V. 



