56 THE HUNTING GROUNDS 



me, and sprang into tlie thick jungle. I saw him 

 very distinctly, as the sun was fast setting, and 

 he appeared to me to be of a different colour to 

 other tigers, being of a dirty yellow, the stripes not 

 showing." 



" AYell, Kistimah," said I, " the only way to make 

 sure of the colour of his skin is to bag hhn ; and 

 this is the way I propose setting about it. When 

 we arrive at the village, I shall order the tassildar 

 (head police authority) to assemble as many beaters 

 as he can, to be ready at the earliest dawn to- 

 morrow, and we will try and beat him out. To-day 

 we will follow up his trail, and visit some of the 

 places where he has been lately seen ; perhaps by 

 good luck we may come across him." 



" Well, sahib, your plan is good ; you speak like 

 a book, and I have nothing better to propose ; still 

 I am not very sanguine of success, for he is a very 

 old and cunning devil ; but, Inshallah, (please God,) 

 I '11 burn his whiskers for him yet. Who is the 

 tiger of defiled fathers, that he should cast dirt on 

 our beards ? " 



By this time the village appeared in view, and I 

 sent on to Kistimah to warn the head man of our 

 arrival. 



He came out to meet us as we entered the village, 

 and we dismounted and seated ourselves under the 

 shade of a large tamarind tree, in front of the 

 tannah, or police station. 



After the usual compliments and salaams, he pro- 



