THE TRAIL OF THE TIGER 305 



though a tiger be not one of them. Really I found 

 the experience full of interest. Sunset in such 

 country is the most delightful hour of the tropical 

 twenty-four, for it is in the cool of evening that 

 refreshment comes after the super-heated day, and 

 you hear jungle sounds, and see jungle life of 

 which you never before knew. After a time the 

 moon looks forth, and by and by, as its soft light 

 spreads, the trees stand forth, darkly, sharply sil- 

 houetted against the sky, and all the jungle takes 

 on new and strangely picturesque beauty. One 

 evening, as I sat over the kill of a tiger — I had 

 the luck to watch the antics of two jackals stealing 

 a meal. Well they knew whose kill they nosed, 

 and every movement suggested terror at the risk. 

 One would circle the opening, head stuck out and 

 every nerve obviously on edge while the other 

 snatched a morsel from the dead bullock ; then the 

 other guarded while the erstwhile sentinel grabbed 

 a mouthful and swallowed it unchewed— neither 

 ever resting an instant. So they continued for 

 many minutes while they secured a very respect- 

 able meal, and grew a bit careless for once one 

 paused a second at the carcass to take more than 

 a passing grab, when the other, with tail between 

 legs, back arched and head extended down and out 

 to the full length of its neck, rushed it with such 



a grin on its face as made me wish to kill it then 

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