164 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



within a short distance of the pool, giving vent to his 

 disappointment in low growls. 



I thought I knew this tiger a shy, wily game-killer, 

 who had evaded many a carefully devised beat, and who 

 had been the cause of much bad language and disappoint- 

 ment for the past two years at least. 



But here we are ! An abrupt descent over large piled- 

 up boulders, and we are soon at the water's edge, which 

 lies below a flat out-cropping ledge of black trap-rock; 

 sand along the north side, and the steep fall of a pre- 

 cipitous bank lining the far shore. Here, some fifteen feet 

 up, is our hide, on the summit of a jumble of great rocks, 

 and hedged around viithjamt'tn bushes unnoticeable and 

 natural to a degree. 



My orderly called my attention to the fact that a herd 

 of sambar had been down during the day, since the Korkus 

 had left in the morning. They had not been able to with- 

 stand further the claims of a fierce thirst, although they 

 are able to let a couple of days at least elapse between 

 drinks. The sambar is very partial to water, however, 

 especially for the sake of a good wallow in the mire. 

 There were also traces of other animals, pigs, and, strangely 

 enough, a bear. He must have been hard up to stir after 

 the hot sun had risen. Then, of course, there were 

 numerous marks of the little four-horned antelope and 

 barking deer. These nearly always choose noontide to 

 slake their thirst, tripping with daintily picked and fearful 

 footsteps to the cool damp sand that fringes the forest 

 pool. We examined the ground carefully for the tiger's 

 tracks, so as to try to obtain a hint from which direction 

 to expect him ; but the hard withered grass and fallen 

 leaves afforded no information. 



As the last glow of dying day fades from the peaks 

 above us, the night chorus of goatsuckers strike up their 

 refrain of " Chuckoo chuckoo chuckoo ! " and many small 

 birds come and sip, and flit about, rejoicing that the torrid 



