MONKEYS AND TIGEES. 183 



opening allowed its freer egress, or a favourable puff 

 of wind wafted it down to the listeners. 



Hawkes, who, as I have said, was furthest up, 

 could now see the men on the opposite side moving 

 along, and by their position guess at that of the 

 beaters below. 



His attention was shortly after attracted to a 

 troop of monkeys in the bottom of the ravine, some- 

 what higher than his station. Their movements 

 evinced some unusual excitement, as they skipped 

 from tree to tree, gesticulating, chattering, and 

 screeching, as if in great anger. He had heard that 

 these creatures do, for some reason of their own, 

 hold tigers in great aversion, which they never fail 

 to display when they happen to discover the object 

 of their wrath, by some such exhibition as he was 

 now witnessing. In his boyish days he had seen 

 the movements of magpies give a clue to the line of 

 the fox ; and he presumed that he was, perhaps, 

 now observing a similar natural instinct on a larger 

 scale. There was evidently some special cause for 

 the commotion which prevailed, so unusual in the 

 heat of the day. As he was pondering this, and 

 wondering if a tiger was really a-foot, his gun-bearer 

 whispered the word " Bagh " (tiger). 



" Where ? Where is he ? " he ejaculated quickly, 

 making ready at the same time. " I don't see him." 



