TIGERLAND 



The ' Huzoor ' will find this beast has only one ear, the 

 other I cut off when he stood up to attack me." 



" I could have killed him then," he continued, the light 

 of madness returning to his eyes, " but that he knocked 

 the axe out of my hand. After that I knew no more till I 

 found myself in hospital and heard some people talking 

 round me, saying to one another, ' Surely this man will 

 die!' 



" But the ' Doctor Sahib ' came later and poured what 

 felt like liquid fire into my wounds, then sewed them up 

 and gave me some magic drug which eased the pain at 

 once so that I slept. He came again next morning and 

 when he had seen the wounds he told me I should live, 

 and I felt glad, for I thought that if the ' Doctor Sahib ' 

 says this it must be true." 



Here he paused as if what he had still to relate was 

 too painful to recall, but Jackson, now keenly interested 

 in the story, urged him to proceed. 



" Well, sahib," he exclaimed, " the Doctor Sahib was 

 right, and in three months I was cured and started for my 

 home, far away in the Punjab ; but when I arrived there 

 my friends and relations did not know me, even my wife 

 and children fled from me in terror, calling upon the 

 villagers to protect them from this devil ! and finally, 

 with blows and curses, I was driven from the village. 



" For weeks I wandered in the jungle, living the life 

 of a wild beast and brooding over my sad fate till I thought 

 I should go mad. Then suddenly, one day the idea came 

 into my mind to return and be revenged upon the animal 

 that had brought me to this condition. From that moment 

 I thought of nothing else but how to accomplish my 

 revenge. An evil spirit seemed to have taken possession 

 of me ; I was no longer master of myself but under its 

 control, and, finally yielding to its influence, I returned 

 here resolved to find the animal and kill him if I could. 

 Obtaining permission from the ' Forest Sahib,' I built that 

 hut upon the tree, where I slept by day and sat watching 

 for the beast at nights, for it was here he had attacked me ; 

 hence I guessed his lair could not be far, beside I knew that 

 yonder mohowa tree when in fruit would be likely to 

 attract him. 

 118 



