The Man-eater of Belkhera* 65 



Very faint noises came and went in the surrounding 

 jungle ; some dried twig or leaf falling to the ground would 

 set the pulses beating expectantly. I was awaiting a creep- 

 ing object to show itself on the light- coloured patch of bran. 

 Would it come ? 



Was that a slight dragging sound in the grass ? The beast 

 that had come down the hillside must have been the pan- 

 ther ! Some indistinct and faint very faint noises per- 

 suaded me that the creature was wandering round us in the 

 dark surrounding jungle. I had heard it under our tree. 

 Perhaps it was sitting somewhere near, watching, feline 

 fashion, ere crawling up to complete its meal. 



I was very drowsy. Perhaps I had been asleep for a 

 moment or two. This would not do. 'Yet it was sleepy . . . 

 awfully sleepy . . . work. 



Suddenly behind me came a shock, a gasp of terror ; the 

 tree rocked ; there was a scraping sound ; my orderly had 

 disappeared ; and then I heard a soft thud at the foot of the 

 tree. Bang ! bang! went both barrels of my gun into the air, 

 and I raised a tremendous shouting, instinctively grasping 

 the situation. Before I could reload, something simply 

 rushed up the tree and fell across my legs into the machdn, 

 right across the muzzle of the gun. It was the Pathan ! 

 Had I been reloaded, nothing could have saved him I had 

 snapped both triggers against his chest, making sure it was 

 the panther! 



The poor fellow was trembling in every limb as well he 

 might. For a few moments we were both too dazed to speak, 

 but I had reloaded the gun, shoved my loaded rifle into his 

 hands, and we sat facing the only accessible side of the 

 machdn. Behind us the hillside descended so steeply 

 that no living creature could invade us from that 

 direction. 



9 



