28 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



I have since learned that Campbell was either " The Old 

 Forest Ranger" himself, or his brother. Both were well known 

 in that country. 



One morning a man came running into the fort, and in- 

 formed us that a panther had taken up her abode in a rocky 

 hillock about ten miles from the cantonment. Hayward and 

 I started off with a friend who was staying with us, and on 

 arriving at the village we were conducted to the place by half 

 a dozen semi-nude savages. The hillock was not more than 

 fifty feet high, and was situated close to the edge of the heavy 

 jungle. The summit was a mass of rocks and green bushes. 

 As we were all on foot, and could not tell the exact spot in 

 which the beast might be expected, we formed up three 

 abreast, and advanced very cautiously in expectation of a 

 charge. Ascending the hillock, we peered about among the 

 rocks for some time without seeing anything. At length we 

 found a small den formed by several masses of rock, and as 

 our eyes became accustomed to the darkness we spied what 

 we supposed to be the head of a panther. We were on the 

 point of firing when the object moved, and we then discovered 

 it to be two small cubs lying together, and apparently asleep. 

 We captured these without much trouble, and then hunted 

 about the jungle in the immediate neighbourhood, in hopes of 

 getting the mother, but she never showed ; so, tying up her 

 offspring in a blanket, we carried them off to the cantonment. 



In these jungles were numerous pea and jungle fowl, and 

 frequently, when we were waiting for larger game at passes, 

 they would come by in long strings, passing close under the 

 trees on which we were seated. Troops, too, of the "lungoor" 

 or large grey monkey would come dancing along, with black 

 careworn countenances. It was interesting to watch them 

 unobserved grey old patriarchs and youthful mothers, with 



