A RICKETY HAMMOCK 195 



afterwards, so I do not know what class I came 

 under. 



It was a very hospitable feast and I ate as much 

 as I could; the munshi talked and told me the 

 names of all the foods and what they were made of. 

 There were split peas, and boiled curry and rice 

 with two sorts of fresh-made chutney brought on a 

 big leaf, a sort of pancake made with onions, sweet 

 cakes and sugary things, and we finished up with a 

 cup of sago. This all took a long time and I ought 

 to have stayed to have a garland thrown round my 

 neck, so Govind told me, and not go away in the 

 middle of the feast, which was rather impolite and 

 not the custom, but I did so want to get off to the 

 tiger and could wait no longer. 



There was very little time to lose, as the sun was 

 low. The shikaris who had made arrangements 

 about the buffaloes had them brought, and we went 

 out to the place and drove them into the long grass, 

 but when there the men left them, and they turned 

 about and came back. I made them drive them in 

 once more ; this time we got some yards farther and 

 we came on quite fresh blood where the tiger had 

 been lying down : flies had collected and were 

 buzzing over it. This frightened the men so much 

 that they bolted. The buffaloes made no sign at 

 all of the tiger's presence, so he must have moved 

 on ; they turned quietly back again, being no longer 

 driven. The men huddled together behind and 

 watched me, they were hopeless. It was dusk by 

 now, so of course we had to give it up and come 

 home. The shikaris said they were sure the tiger 



