1 8 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



the purpose of cutting a fresh pole to act as an 

 axletree, but the driver said he knew of a village a 

 little way off, and would go there for fresh bullocks 

 and for help. On his starting, Ramasawmy lit a fire, 

 set a pot upon it, and prepared the ingredients for 

 making an egg and sardine currie. Dawn, such as 

 it is in the East, was approaching, jungle and 

 pea cocks were crowing their matutinal greetings, 

 and with that exception all was as still as death, 

 when there was a rush and something sprang on to 

 one of the bullocks. The other broke away and 

 rushed into the jungle, where it too was felled. We 

 could hear it struggling, so it was evident there 

 were more foes than one. 



My own position was not a comfortable one. I dared 

 not move, for I was only three or four yards away 

 from the tiger who was slaking his thirst, drinking 

 the life-blood of one of the Tahsildar's pet cattle. 

 Where Kamasawmy was I did not know ; he had 

 mysteriously disappeared. The tiger, after a good 

 drink, dragged the bullock with the greatest ease into 

 the jungle, and I could hear the tearing of flesh and 

 the crunching of bones for some time, but directly 

 the sun rose, the depredators departed. After look- 

 ing about for some time, I espied my boy 

 perched on the topmost branches of a tree close by, 

 and it required some threats and considerable per- 

 suasion to induce him to descend. He trembled so he 

 cou]d scarcely stand, but I gave him a tot of brandy 

 and after a while he resumed his functions as cook. 

 About eight o'clock, a sowar rode up with a letter 

 from my friends, saying they were all ready to start 

 and only waited for my arrival. I wrote across the 



