BULLET AND SHOT 



Information was brought me in camp that a 

 village buffalo had been killed by a tiger. I ordered 

 a median to be put up, and later in the day went 

 to the place. As soon as I saw the spot, I made 

 sure that the slayer was not a tiger, but a panther. 

 The jungle was very poor, the place close to a 

 village, and an examination of the kill confirmed 

 my belief. 



Thinking that as the village was so near, and 

 the jungle so low and thin, the panther might 

 not come to the carcass till after dark, I had a 

 live kid brought and picketed, in the hope that 

 its bleating might hasten the robber's return. I 

 told my men to go away, and to return with a 

 ladder so soon as it should become too dark for 

 me to see the sights of my rifle a very powerful 

 and accurate '500 express by Messrs. Holland 

 and Holland, and one which fitted me perfectly. 



When it had got dusk, the men returned for 

 me, but I decided to watch a little longer, so 

 sent them away again. It soon got pitch-dark, 

 and then I suddenly saw what looked like an 

 upright column of smoke far too high to be a 

 panther pass slowly and shadow -like across the 

 place where the dead buffalo lay. The kid, which 

 was picketed just in front of my mechan, had ceased 

 bleating, and all was still. Suddenly the kid gave 

 vent to another "baa," there was a rush directly 

 under me, and I heard the tiny bait being seized 

 by the panther, though I could see nothing. At 

 last I managed to make out what looked in the 

 darkness like an indistinct grey mass lying where 



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