TIGERLAND 



curry favour, and accordingly asked him, by way of cross- 

 examination, whether he had brought the lantern back 

 with him ? 



" No, sahib," he replied, quite naturally; " of what use 

 would it be to me since it is broken in pieces and even the 

 box that holds the oil, bitten through and through ? " 



This was circumstantial evidence with a vengeance, 

 but to test his story further, I inquired if he had noticed 

 how much of the buffalo had been devoured ? To which 

 he answered that all the flesh of one was gone, but the 

 other seemed intact. 



Being now furnished with sufficient facts, I resolved 

 to test them personally by a local investigation. " Very 

 well, Gopal Chand," I said, for such he had told me was 

 his name, " you must now accompany me to the place, 

 and if all you say is true, I will sit up myself to-night." 



He seemed quite pleased to go, and an hour later I 

 was en route, with him seated behind me on the extreme 

 edge of the pad, evidently much abashed to find himself 

 sitting, not only in the presence of, but on the same 

 level as a sahib ! 



From what I found on arrival it was quite evident that 

 the tigers had been there again and to some purpose. 

 Of the two buffaloes I had seen killed, one was almost 

 entirely eaten, and as to the lantern, pieces of it were 

 scattered here and there, and the reservoir had holes in 

 it undoubtedly made by a tiger's teeth ; while a portion 

 of the cord by which the light had been suspended was 

 still there and under it the grass was all disturbed and 

 trodden down. 



But whether the tigers would come back that night 

 again was now the question. However, as there was one 

 of the buffaloes still untouched, it seemed possible; at 

 any rate, I decided to take my chance, my sporting friend 

 Gopal undertaking to have constructed for me a com- 

 fortable watch-post on the tree he had occupied himself. 



I came out there accordingly, after an early dinner, 

 but, to make a long story short, although I remained 

 awake all night, the only result of my long vigil was a 

 dose of fever the next day ; for except for a brace of jackals 

 a sure sign that the tigers had departed not an animal 

 156 



