AN INCIDENT OF TRAVEL. 315 



While they were enjoying the evening dabble, a 

 man came running to them to say that a cow had 

 been killed by a tiger about a couple of miles off. 

 However, it was then too late to think of going 

 after it ; and though the hunters discussed the pro- 

 priety of sitting up over the carcase, the nights 

 being now nearly moonless, Mackenzie, without 

 much difficulty, carried a resolution to the effect 

 that it would be better to wait for the day. 



Just as they were about to sit down to dinner, a 

 dead panther was brought in. It had been slain by 

 a matchlockman, who detected it in a bush close to 

 the path on which he was walking, and fortunately 

 killed it with a single shot. 



This circumstance brought to the recollection of 

 Norman an incident which once befell him, when a 

 panther was killed pretty close to him without his 

 at the time knowing anything about it. 



He related that he was once travelling through a 

 very wild part of the country with a small escort, 

 consisting of a couple of native horsemen, as the 

 district was infested by robbers. It was in the 

 morning, and he had arrived within a mile or so of 

 the village where he expected to find his tent, when 

 his attention was attracted by the barking of some 

 dogs on one side of the road. He then saw a small 

 party of men, who were just in front, run towards 



