304 WILD MEN AND WILD BEASTS. 



That night I was sleeping in my tent at Baug, when my 

 dreams were rudely disturbed. My three dogs Bugler, 

 Boomerang, and Batchelor, rough-and-ready beasts, half-bull- 

 dog and half-greyhound, were chained, one at the head, an- 

 other at the side, and the third at the foot of my bed. Close 

 to my head, in the corner of the tent, stood my guns and 

 rifles, four in number. Below the pillow were two five-cham- 

 bered revolvers, and on my right side, under the thin quilt on 

 which I slept, lay my drawn sword. The night was very 

 dark, and some watchmen, who had been sent as a guard by 

 the village authorities, were sleeping soundly round their 

 smouldering fire, when I was awoke by a fearsome yelling of 

 dogs. A dreadful struggle was going on beside me ; the dogs 

 were plunging about and tugging at their chains, but I could 

 see nothing. I, however, at once guessed that one of them 

 had been seized by a panther. Though armed with gun, 

 sword, and pistol, I feared to use them in the dark, so, spring- 

 ing up, I shouted loudly, and flacked about with my blanket. 

 The scuffling ceased, I heard a sudden rush and then all was 

 quiet save the whining of the dogs. By this time my servants, 

 who slept in a separate tent at some distance, were aroused, 

 and came over bearing a lantern. Poor Boomerang was found 

 with his throat fearfully lacerated, and in the dust outside the 

 door of the tent were the footprints of a large panther. Had 

 the dog not been chained, he would no doubt have been car- 

 ried off and eaten. His head and neck were greatly swollen 

 for some days, but he soon recovered, and was none the worse. 

 For several nights I set my iron trap baited with a dead pariah 

 dog, but the panther did not return. 



Towards the afternoon a villager came in, and reported 

 having marked a panther down in a jungle about two miles 

 from our camp. I went out, and go ta distant view of the 



