238 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



fired. It keeled over dead. Again the shave was a narrow 

 one. 



When a man's weapon fails him, and it comes to grips, 

 all the advantage is with the animal. Then woe to him if 

 he has not a friend at hand ! Between this pair of friends 

 there was none of the jealousy that is more apt to crop up 

 in shikar matters than perhaps in anything else ; not that 

 decent people would leave each other in the lurch, whatever 

 their grievances might be, but men have been known to start 

 out together amicably and to return separately — in a huff. 



Notwithstanding the many risks and dangers of shikar, 

 fatal catastrophes are comparatively rare. Once, however, 

 a trip was badly marred by a grievous accident. One of 

 our people, Mooniappa 1 by name, having in the course of 

 his life killed his panther, and never got over his pride in 

 the achievement, had made himself a cap out of the fur. 

 In spite of warnings to keep this cap out of sight when 

 camping lest one fine day it should be the death of him, 

 besides being upsetting to the younger dogs, he could not 

 resist parading in it, till at last he did so once too often ; 

 for Mr. 0. — a friend shooting with F. — catching a glimpse 

 of panther hide through the leaves, blazed at it. It was a 

 foolhardy thing to do in any case ; for had a panther been 

 there, on feeling stung he would have speedily taken revenge, 

 unless he had been quieted then and there for ever, the 

 chances being a thousand to one against a head shot. But 

 the bit of yellow and black fur dropped, and Mr. 0., seeing 

 no stir, nor hearing the expected roar, made sure he had 

 killed dead — as indeed he had. But his glee was short- 

 lived, for on pushing through the bushes he found that the 

 fur was only the cap on Mooniappa's head, and the man 

 lay shot before him. He must have been going on his hands 

 and knees — after something himself, perhaps — and it brought 

 him near enough to panther level. Any one might have 



1 Mooniappa = son of Mooni ( Tamil). 



