UNDER THE JAMUNS 191 



This is the harking back of the soul of man to prehistoric 

 influences. 



Time in machdns often passes wonderfully quickly. 

 I had looked at my watch, and was surprised to find 

 it past nine o'clock. A jungle path ran along the edge 

 of the little clearing in which stood my trees, and down 

 this came a flitting shape, halted, tripped on again to a 

 sound like light clicking of castanets. A khdkar ! But 

 I have never satisfied myself as to whether this sound 

 proceeds from the little creature's tongue or hoofs. Later 

 on, two small animals civets perhaps played about under 

 the farjdmtin tree. About midnight I was straining my 

 eyes to make out a large colourless form that followed the 

 same path down which the barking deer had come. It 

 moved steadily, slowly, keeping to the shadows, too deliber- 

 ate for anything but a tiger or panther. It disappeared 

 gradually towards a neck of land leading to a higher 

 portion of plateau. Shortly after this there was a distant 

 throaty noise the rattling rough voice common alike to 

 big boars, bears, tigers, and panthers and, growing quickly 

 bigger in the full moonlight, an old bear came rushing 

 helter-skelter past my tree. Trundling rapidly along, he 

 entered the forest beyond, and came to a halt. Not a 

 sound ensued for about a minute. Then he gave a few 

 loud indignant sniffs, and moved away through the rustling 

 dry leaves. 



It must have been about 2 a.m. that, lying back with 

 eyes half closed, I became aware of a black object approach- 

 ing once more. I raised myself quietly. On it came in 

 the bright moon's rays, its whitish snout protruding from 

 a mass of shaggy black hair. A bear ! On he waddled 

 until ten, seven, five yards separated us ; and down went 

 his head to the very heap of plums we had specially 

 arranged for his delectation. There he sucked and slob- 

 bered. Oh, such a smacking of lips long, prehensile lips ! 

 Oh, so busy ; blowing himself out at lightning speed, 



