A BELGAUM TIGER 45 



over my head, and I was mixed up and weighted 

 down with canvas and sheets and mosquito curtains, 

 and had some difficulty in rolling on to the ground 

 and burrowing my way out from under the ruins. 

 As I did so I heard Bump's chain chinking as it 

 dragged along the ground. 



When I crawled out I saw, to my relief, in the 

 bright moonlight and at a little distance, Bumps 

 nosing along the ground and much interested in a 

 trail he seemed to be following. I ran up and 

 caught him, and then looked to see the tent. All 

 the back part was standing and only the front pole 

 knocked down, a peg or two pulled out with loose 

 ropes hanging to them. I went into May's tent; 

 she was sleeping soundly, so I woke her up and 

 asked if she had heard anything. 



" No, I haven't heard anything, but I think I 

 woke and saw a dog or something/' she said. 



"What sort of dog?" 



" A big dog; it walked through the tent and then 

 all round my bed. Yes, it was a very big dog, I've 

 never seen such a big one. I could only see a large 

 sort of shadow in the dark ; but I thought perhaps 

 it might be the custom in India for big dogs to walk 

 round one's tent at night, so I didn't bother and 

 went off to sleep again 1 " 



The ground was very hard and covered with short 

 dry grass round the tents and so we could find no 

 panther tracks close by when we looked next day. 

 The only way that the village men could account 

 for this was that a panther had made a spring at 

 'Bumps under my bed, knocked against the pole, 



