KURUKWAHI 213 



run all over him and he was busily employed slashing 

 them off with small branches. Then they extended 

 their travels over me, down my neck, in my topi, 

 sticking their nasty little sharp nippers into my hands 

 and face. The coolie slashed at me too, but it was 

 impossible for him to keep them off. The rifle was 

 crawling with them, I could not touch it, and the 

 water-bottle was a mass of red things. I could 

 stand it no longer, no more could he, and we clambered 

 down, he, valiantly, seizing the rifle. He ran and I 

 limped for our lives, to get out of the tiger's way, and 

 outside the jungle they were beating. The coolie 

 ran on and called to Abdulla to stop the beat, but, 

 after all this noise and commotion, of course there 

 was no tiger. 



There was a great fire in Garchiroli that night, 

 bright flames and much shouting, and several huts 

 were burnt down, but not much property lost. 



At long last Rattan Lai said I might really go, pro- 

 vided my camp was within a few miles of hospital, 

 so that he could come out occasionally to see if all 

 was going on well ; and he supplied me with bandages 

 and dressings, and gave many instructions. I had 

 spent over five weeks in hospital and I could not 

 have found any one more painstaking and attentive 

 than he was. 



I had my camp at the place I had been trying for 

 the tiger before, and rode out. It was a great 

 pleasure to be really in camp once more, and sleeping 

 under the stars, with Leo straight overhead. We 

 tried time after time for this tiger, beating, sitting 

 up, but he always evaded us. Abdulla tied in the 



