64 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



on the ground behind him and he was soon hidden 

 by bamboos. The patel and some men had come up, 

 and I got down and followed him up at once, thinking 

 he was so badly hit I could safely finish him off, but 

 I had made bad shots and had hit him too far behind. 

 We could plainly see the panther's track and the 

 long continuous mark of his broken leg dragging in 

 the black ashes. I said we would all go up in a body, 

 and I told the men to have their axes ready but to 

 keep behind me. They did keep behind, a very long 

 way, and small blame to them; but the patel 

 wanted no urging, and was at my elbow all the 

 time. 



We had not far to go and suddenly came on the 

 panther about ten yards away, lying down under a 

 bamboo, tail towards us, looking round. I aimed 

 rather quickly, tried to get his spine, missed it and 

 got him close to the hip. He whipped round and 

 snaked along the ground straight for me. It was 

 the matter of an instant. I never would have 

 believed that a crippled animal could come at that 

 pace : he was at my feet, practically on them, as I 

 remember quite well running backwards two steps, 

 to avoid him before I got my aim. I fired the 

 second barrel and he rolled over on his back, biting 

 fiercely at one of his paws that he had put in his 

 mouth. I loaded and put a finisher in his neck to 

 make sure, and then looked round. The staunch 

 patel was still at my elbow, but not another man to 

 be seen. However, they all soon swarmed round and 

 there was tremendous excitement : everybody talked 

 at once, shook hands ! salaamed ; went through the 



