66 Leaves Jrom an Indian Jungle. 



After a while we heard the crackle of leaves at a consider- 

 able distance in the jungle ; and then a barking deer or 

 khdkar set up a sudden and incessant barking, that became 

 fainter and fainter as the little creature retreated down the 

 glen probably before the panther, which was apparently 

 going off that way. 



We now took a couple of the poles forming the flooring of 

 the machctn, and tied them with the orderly's pagri so as to 

 form a slight barrier to any second attack on our exposed 

 side. 



I then held a whispered consultation with him. He 

 had escaped without a scratch ! His story was that he was 

 nodding drowsily, when something struck and caught both 

 his legs below the knee, and dragged him out of his perch f 

 As he fell, he turned, and gripped a limb of the tree, but 

 was slipping down, with an immense weight on his legs, 

 till his hands came to a fork of the trunk. Here he held on 

 with all his strength; his right gaiter was ripped clean ofi^ 

 the beast let go its clutch, he heard its claws tearing the 

 soft bark, and then it dropped to the ground. Next instant 

 he had somehow regained our shelter \ 



Although the first attack of this fearless brute had failed, 

 and our position had been strengthened, our feelings may 

 well be imagined ! It was pitch dark in the shadow of the 

 trees. I touched the open face of my watch. The hands- 

 felt to be indicating one o'clock in the morning. There were 

 still four-and-a half hours of night before us, during which 

 we were liable to be stalked practically helpless our- 

 selves, but clearly apparent to every sense of this practised 1 , 

 creeping murderer. 



Once more the hours dragged on in silence. 



Two large owls set up a most horrible low moaning among 

 the trees to the right. The air became damp and very cold. 



