CREATURES OF THE WILDERNESS 77 



and which, having stalked to within a few feet 

 of the calf, was only waiting for the darkness 

 that would precede the rising of the moon in 

 order to make a meal of it. 



A battle between these warriors of the jungle 

 seemed imminent, but the panther was not 

 equal to it. It squirmed its way to the top of 

 a boulder and hissed savagely at the boar, but 

 that was all ; and it was just turning to make 

 off, in spite of the fact that the ground was of 

 a nature to have given it the advantage, when 

 a shot from the 8-bore in the machan rolled 

 it over on the far side of the boulder. The 

 boar apparently took in the situation at a 

 glance and, after one triumphal snort, tripped 

 contentedly away. 



A thunderstorm broke during the night, 

 which gave the watcher the agreeable choice 

 between remaining in his tree and taking his 

 chance with the lightning, or descending to 

 earth and chancing a collision with theGari tiger. 



Next morning he visited, with proper caution, 

 the spot at which he had last seen the panther, 

 but it lay dead on the further side, and death 

 had evidently been instantaneous. Its length, 

 native measurement (i.e. liberally stretched), 

 was 9 ft. 3^ in. In any case, it was a large 

 specimen, and as it was in excellent condition, 

 such pusillanimous conduct, even in face of a 

 boar, seems inexcusable. 



