A TIGER-DRIVE. 213 



peacock -pheasant, whose persistent scolding clatter, 

 not unlike the note of a cackling barn-door hen, 

 had warned every animal within hearing of our 

 arrival, had ceased its clamour at last and recom- 

 menced its scratching among the fallen leaves. Two 

 little birds the male a brilliant black with a golden 

 crown, and his mate a sober russet-brown resumed 

 the labour of feeding their speckled nestlings. A 

 resplendent ground - thrush, gorgeous as a salmon- 

 fly, which on our approach had hidden under some 

 fallen leaves, had now regained its confidence and 

 came hopping out to continue its search for food- 

 The life of every animal seemed to be a silent 

 one. In the distance, it is true, a great rhinoceros- 

 hornbill called from a tree-top to a mate afar off; 

 and high overhead, hidden in the blinding blue, a 

 kite uttered at intervals its shrill, querulous whistle. 

 But these were the exceptions : at all hours and at 

 all seasons the silence of the animals is one with 

 the silence of the forest. 



During the whole of the drive no animal larger 

 than a mouse -deer appeared within sight of my 

 platform, and when finally the line of beaters reached 

 the guns we found that the drive was a blank. A 

 sambar and a barking deer or two had been seen 

 by the other guns, but, since a tiger was our object, 

 no one had fired at them. 



The Malays were not only disappointed but much 

 surprised at the failure of the drive. Day after day 

 and night after night the tiger had been heard 

 roaring in the area through which they had just 

 beaten, and they could not understand why not a 



