ROUND THE CAMP FIRE 309 



ing cyons arise in such haunts, and, as if by magic, every 

 other creature scatters and disappears. Not only is there 

 a rapid exodus of the Bovidcz and Cervidce, but even the 

 terror-striking feline himself tiger and panther alike 

 seems to receive an urgent call to other localities far 

 removed from the disturbing presence of the red dogs. 



The writer once had an opportunity of witnessing a case 

 of one such sudden debacle. He had made an excursion 

 from his standing camp to verify reports received of a 

 tiger which was killing in some distant coverts, and had 

 set off on his ride one hot afternoon. It was towards the 

 cool of evening that the track, which had been passing 

 through a bleak succession of bare, rocky hills, suddenly 

 descended to a secluded valley full of the kind of covert 

 beloved of spotted deer. Forced to the surface by hori- 

 zontal beds of hard laterite, where the little stream turned 

 close in under the hill, a succession of small shallow pools 

 gladdened the eye down a vista of waist-high grass and 

 scattered woodland. As we passed along its mile or so 

 of length, this charming oasis seemed to be literally alive 

 with chital, whose dappled hides could be seen in all direc- 

 tions as the deer went leaping off, or halted to gaze 

 fixedly at the intruder in all their graceful beauty. 



Marking at least one stag as worth returning for later, 

 we loitered on our way, charmed with the beautiful sight. 



The night was spent at a village. Next morning it was 

 found that the tiger, which only the day before had killed 

 a cow in the vicinity, had completely disappeared, as also 

 the remains of his kill, owing, so local news ran, to the 

 arrival of a pack of cyons. 



At almost the same hour next evening, therefore, we 

 entered the chital valley on our return journey. 



To our astonishment it was completely deserted, and 

 wore that appearance, unmistakable to an accustomed eye, 

 of utter desolation and absence of animal life. 



This was extraordinary; so my man and I separated, 



