A KILL CLOSE TO CAMP 



village, and later on, towards dawn, the stillness of the 

 camp was broken by the loud notes of a couple of tigers 

 calling to each other not very far away. Accordingly, 

 when we met the next morning, instead of sending our 

 camp on as we usually did, we decided on remaining where 

 we were for a day or so, for in addition to the promise of 

 sport, we had a good deal of work in the vicinity of this 

 particular village, which we set about disposing of at once, 

 so as to be free for a good beat the next day. We had been 

 working hard, therefore, all day, and, just before dusk, 

 were starting for a stroll to the village when suddenly we 

 heard a tremendous shouting and yelling from this direction, 

 and some of the villagers soon came running to the camp, 

 wild with terror and excitement, to tell us that a cow had 

 just been carried off from a field about a mile to the west 

 of our camp. This, while sad for the unfortunate owner 

 of the cow, was glorious news to us, and, though too late 

 to do anything that evening, there was still sufficient light 

 to investigate the matter. We accordingly hurried to the 

 spot where the cow was alleged to have been seized, and 

 soon had ample evidence of the truth of the story, for 

 there was the broken rope by which the animal had been 

 fastened to a small tree, and pools of fresh blood, which in 

 themselves would have been sufficient to indicate what had 

 occurred ; but in addition to this there was a newly made 

 broad lane through the grass leading in the direction of a 

 large clump of mixed reed and grass jungle, through which 

 the carcass had evidently been dragged, and following this 

 up for a few yards we came to a small stream, on the soft 

 muddy bank of which were unmistakable " pugs," which 

 from their size were apparently those of a large leopard or 

 small tigress. There was no time for further search, nor 

 was this necessary. We had ascertained all that was 

 requisite, viz. that there had really been a " kill," and 

 where it had been dragged. We accordingly returned to 

 our tents and dinner, and, giving orders for the elephants 

 to be ready early the next morning, retired to bed in a 

 most contented frame of mind at the prospect of the 

 pleasant morning's w r ork before us. By 7 a.m. we had 

 mounted the howdahs and were off to the cover, which we 

 found to be, on further examination, a strip of heavy grass 



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