ROOPUR'S STORY. 403 



are to join in the affair," said Mackenzie. " Our 

 camp goes off to-morrow night." 



" I know it, Sahib. I well wish it had been my 

 luck to come across this pug before. But there is 

 till to-morrow night. If it be destined to die, it 

 will die. The Sahibs' good fortune is great." 



"Now tell us how your father met his death," 

 said Mackenzie. 



" My father," resumed the man, " was the greatest 

 shikaree in these jungles. Seven times has the 

 village rejoiced over the death of bullock-slayers. 

 But his time came. "Who can change that 1 On 

 the day he went out to try and kill this tiger who 

 had once killed a man, and done much harm to the 

 village people the women and children smiled to 

 think that there would be no more fear when they 

 went to cut grass or wood, and the men spoke in 

 praise. But who could tell that the rejoicing would 

 be changed into the death lament ? Enough. It 

 was destined. 



" The tiger had killed a bullock in a field of grain 

 not far from the village, and my father sat up over 

 it at night with three other men. The tiger came, 

 but the bullet was turned aside, and the beast 

 escaped. Morning came, and my father returned 

 silent and crest-fallen to the village. He was met 

 by anxious inquiries, but he only shook his head, 



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