288 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



may be approaching your cdache. Whilst we had the 

 moonlight he was not so bad, but about ten his cough 

 became so incessant that I gave him a pretty stiff go 

 of whisky to instil some pluck into him, and then bade 

 him lie down and go to sleep, whilst I took the first 

 watch. Wrapped up in his cumbley he was soon fast 

 asleep, whilst I kept my weary vigils. Every now and 

 then a prowling hysena or a jackal's pit-a-pat on the 

 dried or decaying leaves would set my heart beating 

 a little faster, and with cocked rifle I would lie on the 

 qui vive, expecting to see something worth powder 

 and ball, only to be disgusted and to inwardly mutter 

 a few curses, deep but not loud, on their accursed heads. 

 About three I awoke my assistant, bidding him keep 

 a sharp look-out, which I thought his fears would 

 compel him to do. I in my turn lay down with my 

 rifle, a 14 double, cocked by my side, and enveloped 

 in my black blanket I was soon fast asleep, and had 

 been asleep probably for an hour, when I suddenly 

 awoke with a feeling of danger upon me. I was 

 trembling all over, but I had my wits about me. I 

 carefully moved the blanket off my face, and peered 

 about. The shikarie had fallen forward fast asleep ; 

 for a second or more I saw nothing further, then over 

 the mound of earth which had been piled up round us, 

 I saw indistinctly the devilish head and then the 

 glaring eyeballs of some black beast taking count of 

 us. The shikarie gave a slight snore and moved ; the 

 eyeballs were diverted in that direction and taken off 

 me. Without sitting up, but lying full length on my 

 back, I moved the rifle, pointing it at the object in 

 front, and just as he brought back his form to bear 

 upon me, I pulled the triggers both together. A lurch 



