BULLET AND SHOT 



great excitement, with the news that a village cow 

 had been killed in the very same place whence my 

 tied cattle had been brought back to camp pre- 

 viously that afternoon. He was very anxious for 

 me to go off with him at once to sit over the kill, 

 but of course I refused, and told him that I would 

 beat for the tiger or panther (I did not then know 

 which it really was) early the next morning. I 

 made arrangements for all the men available in 

 the small village near to be collected and kept 

 ready in the morning. 



I had already made somewhat elaborate plans 

 for beating at the other place, nine miles from 

 camp, in the opposite direction on the same day, 

 and had ordered sixty beaters to be in readiness ; 

 so, as it was too late to cancel those arrangements, 

 I decided to beat first over the kill, and then to 

 ride across country to the other tract of jungle and 

 to try some chance beats there. 



Early next morning we started, being forced to 

 begin the drive at a time which should not be 

 chosen for the purpose, as it is better to beat in 

 the heat of the day, rather than at any other part 

 of it. Only some twenty or twenty-five men were 

 available as beaters. The jungle to be worked was 

 a piece of dense cover at the base of, and extending 

 partially along the side of, a high, rocky hill, rising 

 abruptly from the plain. We drew lots for the 

 posts which the local authorities in jungle matters 

 decided were the most likely. K. drew the one on 

 the extreme right facing the beat, while I drew the 

 centre, and W. the left. K. was posted on a rock 



156 



