266 ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 



trees gave way and went crashing down all around us. 

 Nothing heeded those two below, and the awful combat went 

 on with unabated fury. When the wind dropped for an 

 instant's lull we heard it more plainly, wishing much that 

 we could see it as well, but I never remember such another 

 night of Egyptian darkness. A black pall hung over every- 

 thing, and that in itself must woefully have increased the 

 difficulties of the bison, who could only follow the tiger's 

 manoeuvres by scent, whereas it was no hindrance to his 

 cat's eyes — he could probably see where they all were. 



In a moment or two the storm broke in good earnest 

 over our heads ; then, what with the lightning flashes, which 

 seemed to split the heavens, the artillery of the thunder, 

 the enraged bellowing and roaring of the combatants, the 

 barking of the dogs, and the noise of falling trees, echoed 

 and re-echoed by the forest and the hills around, all the 

 Furies seemed let loose, the whole being rendered doubly 

 impressive by the dense and rayless gloom momentarily lit 

 up with arrows and streaks of darting, rose-coloured light. 

 But words are inadequate to describe it. I can only say 

 what was going on in those awe-inspiring moments, and leave 

 it for others to imagine if they can. As the storm continued 

 a tree-trunk, seemingly at our very elbows, was struck by 

 a flash of lightning and riven from top to bottom, with a 

 report sudden and sharp as of ten thousand pistols ; but 

 nothing checked or interrupted those two below. For 

 nearly an hour they must have faced each other — the bison 

 mother, frenzied with her instinct to defend her offspring, 

 and the raging tiger, baffled, kept off, while perhaps famished 

 and half-mad with hunger — the note of fury vibrating in 

 each voice. Speak we could not, nor was there a human 

 sound tp be heard — all were awestruck. 



How earnestly we hoped that strife would end in victory 

 for the bison ! Powerless to help in the dark, with the least 

 breaking of the clouds it would have been impossible for 



