140 DAYS AND NIGHTS OF SHIKAR 



I turned to go, but there was a certain hesitation 

 and whispering among them, and Lai Singh said : 



" But, sahib, how about Nur Singh? " 



" Who's he, Nur Singh?" 



" He is one of our men, and he is up a tree exactly 

 over the tiger and he dare not come down." (Come 

 down ! No, I should think not /) "If he falls in 

 the night, what then ! " 



" Well, call to him and find out what the tiger is 

 doing." 



" He is not able to speak. He has lost his voice 

 through fear." 



No, we certainly could not leave Nur Singh to his 

 fate. What an awful night for him ! It was 

 unthinkable. Something had to be done, and that 

 soon. We must make the tiger charge if we could ! 

 That was the only way out of it that I could see. 



The men went up into trees again and shouted. 

 No result. We called out to the poor man and told 

 him he should not be left to the tiger and darkness, 

 and eventually bucked him up so much that his 

 voice began to return, though it was a very husky 

 voice. 



Meanwhile we were getting nearer the long grass, 

 Lai Singh climbing trees to try and get a view, the 

 kotwal lying down to peep under the bushes and a 

 plucky little man in a black coat, only about five 

 foot high and slight to match, and who climbed like 

 a monkey, venturing nearer than any one until I 

 called him back and then made them all get behind 

 me. 



