74 HOW I KILLED THE TIGER. 



heavy jungles, miles away from any human beings, 

 teeming with animals and birds, and the pro- 

 found stillness has struck me as something awful. 

 Not a note from a bird ; only an occasional 

 woodpecker tapping a tree, the buzz of insects, 

 the snap of a twig by a deer or some other 

 animal, and very occasionally I could hear the 

 noise made by a leopard, which resembles the 

 sawing of wood. On account of the perfect still- 

 ness the least sound is distinctly heard, though 

 at a great distance. 



The Manikjor or beef steak bird, is a large 

 bird of the order of Grallatores or Waders. I 

 mention this bird as it was my target for 

 practising rifle shooting, and at the same time it 

 supplied the larder in the hottest weather with 

 a delicacy. A friend dropped in one day when 

 it happened there was a " beef steak " for 

 dinner. It being the hot season, and knowing 

 that beef could not be procured, as anything 

 killed must be eaten the same day, he was 

 amazed that I should have regaled him with a 

 feast of such excellent quality. He quite thought 

 I had killed a bullock for his benefit. 



