43 PANTHERS. 



end, and took up our positions, I at the edge of a rocky 

 ravine near the top of the ridge, Poulton and Manley 

 farther down the slope, and below the ravine. Immedi- 

 ately the beat commenced there was shouting of " pedda 

 puli " (tiger), and tremendous excitement among the 

 beaters, and the stops along the top of the ridge cried 

 out "he is going forward," but it turned out to be the 

 panther we were in search of. He came lobbing along 

 through the jungle, and stopped when abreast of me on 

 the sky line. I fired, but the bullet struck low and too 

 far back ; he turned round and bit savagely at the wound, 

 and then charged towards the line of beaters, growling as 

 he ran ; they were about one hundred and twenty yards off, 

 and I shouted " take care, he is going back ;" but, lead by 

 the shikaries firing blank cartridge, they behaved splen- 

 didly, and held their ground with immense uproar. After 

 going a short distance the brute disappeared in a patch of 

 long grass and rocks ; I then altered my position to get a 

 better view of the ground in front, and got on the trunk of 

 a small tree which grew close to the edge of the ravine, 

 and bent over it ; the footing was precarious, but it gave 

 me a slightly better command of the ground the ravine 

 was precipitous, and at least thirty feet in depth, but if I 

 fell it would be on the bank, and just clear of the brink. 



Presently the panther again came forward at a gallop ; 

 seeing me, he altered his course and charged, growling, his 

 tail held well aloft. I had only time to fire in his face, 

 the recoil knocked me off the tree, and he galloped over 

 me, merely brushing the rifle aside, which I held up to 

 protect me. It was a clean miss, but the smoke must 

 have blinded him, for he did not lay a claw on me, but 

 continued his wild career, and we never saw him again. 

 Sore in mind and body, I limped down the hill to my com- 



