62 PANTHERS. 



respectively. It was agreed that two shikar elephants 

 should be sent for, and that the panther should be tackled 

 after the tiffin, by our respective doughty champions, the 

 remainder of the party being spectators, to learn how to do 

 the thing properly. Accordingly we all rode out to the 

 trysting-place near Bolarum, where the two elephants were 

 in readiness. Just as we arrived, a sowar* came galloping 

 up to report that, not only had he seen the panther in the 

 rocks, but that it had chased him across the plain, and it 

 was only his horse's fleetness that saved his life. He 

 added, that, on being foiled, the brute, had returned to his 

 lair in the rocks. On hearing this, the rival competitors, 

 thirsting for the fray, pushed their elephants forward, and 

 a race ensued. The colonel's elephant was the slower, and 

 his unfortunate mahout had a bad time from the stock of 

 his rifle, as Hazelrigg gradually surged ahead. Arriving 

 within fifty yards of the rocks, the panther was soon 

 descried on a ledge at the foot of a boulder, crouching, and 

 ready to spring. Hazelrigg being first up, fired at the 

 brute, but evidently missed, for it did not move. At this 

 moment Nightingale arrived and delivered his fire with 

 like result. More shots were fired by both, but the panther 

 took no notice and still remained crouching, till at length 

 a shot from Hazelrigg rolled it off the ledge. With a loud 

 shout of triumph, and amid tremendous applause from the 

 " gallery," he pushed his elephant up to the lifeless body, 

 but only to find that it was a skin stuffed with straw. The 

 spectators were at first perplexed, and finally convulsed with 

 laughter ; not so the principals, who swore that they would 

 have the originator " out " and shoot him ! But they 

 never discovered his identity he was a gallant officer of a 

 corps not much given to practical joking, viz., the Eoyal 



* Native trooper. 



