130 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



mauled it, as he had several times come across the 

 remains of a panther killed by one, and once shot a 

 tiger over the remains of a panther. 



The cowmen said that they had heard another 

 panther roaring round about and he would probably 

 come back to look for his mate, so I settled to sit 

 up over a goat. There was no suitable tree near, so 

 a small pit was dug for me to sit in and covered with 

 a few branches, leaving a peep-hole in front. The 

 goat that they brought had been killed I forget 

 how but not so very recently, and I had to sit with 

 my nose close to it ; it was bad enough anyhow, but 

 when the wind blew my way the smell was rather 

 terrible. I was hoping to see a dark form come 

 between me and the stars, but nothing came, and 

 after a few hours' watching I gave it up as the smell 

 simply drove me home. 



Before we left this camp I shot a tigress ; she was 

 shot in the ear and the bullet made absolutely no 

 mark on her skin anywhere, and there was no sign 

 of blood. Lai Singh looked all over her body for 

 the bullet hole and all the men were astonished not 

 to be able to find it; they would not altogether 

 believe me when I said she died from fright and they 

 only found the broken bullet when they were cleaning 

 the skull. 



After the tigress was skinned the carcase was 

 dragged away and left in an open field in front of the 

 tent, and there was a great fight for the meat between 

 the vultures and two village dogs. The pi dogs 

 arrived first, then the vultures and chils came swoop- 

 ing down from the blue and sat round in a big circle, 



