358 RIFLE AND ROMANCE 



and a sort of heavy rolling sound. Next instant there 

 burst out a succession of those rattling throaty sounds 

 which one soon learns to associate with a turn of luck, and 

 the beast went rolling down the slope away from the pit. 

 Still listening intently, face glued to the little loophole, the 

 rollings were heard to quicken ; then came the cracking of 

 branches ; and some time later a distant thud. The panther 

 had rolled away and fallen into the rocky bed of the very 

 khdra which he inhabited ! 



It was not very long after this, the reader may rest 

 assured, that, in response to the sounding of my whistle, 

 a light was seen shining on the jungle trees around, and, 

 dug out of my grave-like retreat, I was stretching cramped 

 limbs preparatory to a return to Mungbung. Tumbling 

 over stones, and toiling up the jungle track by the faint 

 light of an old hurricane-lantern, we made our slow way 

 thither; and, laying me down on a heap of fodder in a Korku 

 hut, I was shortly asleep. Although two more thunder- 

 storms came up during the remainder of the night and 

 forced me to change the position of my couch to avoid 

 the rain which entered by a defective portion of the roof, 

 it was comfortable enough, and perfectly clean. A Korku 

 village, rude thougn it be, seems to be one of the most free 

 from dirt and smells of all the habitations of the native of 

 India that I have yet come across. 



It seemed all too early that my old orderly awaked me 

 next morning ; but there was now no troublesome toilet 

 or dressing to effect, and we set off at once to the scene 

 of the previous night's doings. The rain had freshened 

 nature, and though occasional sultry breaths of air rolled 

 up from the glens where they had been imprisoned since 

 the previous day, it was a fairly pleasant morning for the 

 time of year. 



Reaching the pit, the poor goat was seen to be lying 

 stark and stiff. Its throat and nape of neck bore the 

 usual punctured wounds, and the clotted gore round them 



