SOME BEARS IN SATARA 113 



that night as he was hungry enough to venture so 

 near the village, and as there was a full moon it was 

 a good opportunity. 



I rode out and got to the place about sundown. 

 There were no preparations of any sort made where 

 I could sit hidden, and there was no tree anywhere 

 about, but Esuf was there waiting with the cow that 

 had escaped the tiger and which her owners had 

 given to be tied up again ; I suppose they thought 

 she would be sure to die and she might as well be of 

 use first. I asked Esuf where I was to sit for the 

 night, as the cow was tied up on a flat piece of open 

 ground some little way from the village; he said 

 he left that to my discretion. I looked about and, 

 as I could see nothing better, chose a spot on the side 

 of a hill thirty yards from the bait, wondering much 

 from which direction the tiger might come and if 

 I should suddenly find him behind me, looking over 

 my shoulder. I was in shadow for some time, under 

 a rock, though there was such a beautiful moon, and 

 it was an interesting night as long as I could manage 

 to keep awake, though the tiger never came near, 

 to my knowledge. 



I had many fruitless journeys from the top of the 

 Mahableshwar hill to the bottom for a beat or a sit 

 up, sometimes all night; and it was rather hard 

 work and generally done in a great rush, as khubber 

 was so late coming in. I spent ten days occasionally 

 at the bottom of the hill and then the tiger would 

 be sure to be at the top, which was rather tantalizing ; 

 but a panther came to the Government House 



grounds and killed one night, and another to the 



i 



