DISCOVERY OF A HAM 



that peculiar rumbling sound which, in a well-trained 

 animal, means that it has scented some beast, alive or 

 dead. 



We halted the line at once, but could see nothing for 

 some time. At last the mahout, a " Tharu " from the 

 " Terai " in other words, a hunter by birth and training 

 suddenly slipped off the elephant, and, groping for a 

 moment in the grass, held up what appeared to be a monster 

 ham, wrapped neatly round with several layers of grass. 



Taking off the wrappings, we discovered to our surprise 

 a hind-quarter of the buffalo. The mahout was most 

 jubilant, declaring that "as it had been removed by the 

 tiger a long distance from the rest of the kill, it was a sure 

 sign that it intended coming back to eat it, or would not 

 otherwise have concealed it so carefully." 



Very fortunately, it happened there was a large tree a 

 few yards off. So, carefully replacing the " ham " where 

 we found it, wrapped up in its original coverings, we soon 

 rigged up a " machan " on the tree, then adjourned for 

 lunch outside the jungle, for we knew the tiger, if it came 

 back at all, would not do so till the evening. It was 

 three o'clock before we had finished lunch, and half an 

 hour later we took up our position in the tree ; but 

 for the first hour or so nothing of any interest happened, 

 and the silence we were obliged to observe was becoming 

 almost unbearable, when its monotony was relieved by 

 watching the birds returning to roost in the trees around 

 us, and fighting for the perches. 



One lot in particular specially attracted out attention 

 from their extraordinary behaviour. This was a flock of 

 crows flying low and close together, with heads all bent 

 downwards, watching something in the grass below them. 

 Every now and then they would flap their wings and, cawing 

 loudly, shoot suddenly up into the air in evident excite- 

 ment, then, hovering for a while, down they would go again. 

 This went on for some time till they were over a small 

 stream about thirty yards to our right. Here they settled 

 on a tree, and, from their loud chattering, appeared to be 

 discussing the situation ; then, suddenly taking wing again, 

 flew off towards the heavier jungle. 



We were much puzzled to account for their strange 



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