100 THE EASTERN HUNTEES. 



led the two older and more practised hunters to con- 

 jecture that the beat was one on speculation. That 

 hope of a find, rather than the certainty, was at 

 present influencing the acute and experienced shi- 

 karee. They had too much confidence in his sin- 

 cerity, as well as in his woodcraft, to think that the 

 old fellow meant either to deceive those whom his 

 jungle science had so often assisted, or that he was 

 himself deceived. They had little doubt a tiger had 

 been about ; but where he then might be, they 

 believed to be a matter of uncertainty ; and the 

 result justified their apprehensions. 



The strip of jungle was beaten, and two other 

 patches also, including the one memorable as the 

 scene of the tigress' death ; but nothing was dis- 

 covered by any one. And, at last, Kugoriauth was 

 obliged to confess that the animal's retreat had from 

 the first been uncertain, and that lie must have 

 eluded them. 



" He has been wandering about," he said, " a good 

 deal, Sahib, during the night and early morning, and 

 his pugs cross so much as to render it difficult to 

 find out the latest. I was in hopes he might have 

 been in that jungle we first beat ; but now I have 

 no confidence about finding him. I do not know 

 where he has gone, but think he must have re- 

 turned to the hills." 



