ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 267 



F. to remain inactive, but there was no need. It did end 

 as we hoped. The mother-passion lends force to the 

 feeblest, and when allied to the mighty strength of a bison 

 is well-nigh invincible. Indeed, the tiger must have been 

 very hard set to try odds with her at all. 



That he was beaten off we knew ; for at length his roars 

 dwindled to disappointed growls and snarls, frightful 

 enough, too, but gradually lessening to indistinct mutter- 

 ings as he retreated. 



For a while the victorious mother and her trembling little 

 one stayed where they were, for we could hear her soothing 

 it, another note now in her voice, and fury dying out. No 

 doubt she was spent, too, poor thing ! her build being so 

 different from that of her opponent ; while he, with his 

 lithe, agile body, could leap sideways or upwards or back- 

 wards untiringly, she, with her huge bulk, had enough to 

 do to stand her ground in one spot, with the calf under her 

 for safety, and if he came within reach to receive him on 

 impaling horns. She knew, as we did, that the tiger was 

 vanquished, not to return ; a beaten tiger is beaten, and 

 owns it by taking himself off, given the chance. All was 

 therefore quite safe now, and she must get back into the 

 herd. To do this she lowed repeatedly, the herd replying, 

 many voices at a time ; so, as that was the last we heard 

 of them, we concluded that they all met and trooped off 

 together. 



In the morning we went down to view the scene of the 

 duel, which, except for an intervening rock or two, was 

 plainly visible from where we had sat listening, spellbound ; 

 one might have thrown a stone on to the spot, so near was 

 it. If ploughshares had gone over the ground it could not 

 have been more deeply broken up, but only within a clearly 

 defined area, the earth being flung yards distant. Not a 

 blade of grass or a shrub was left, but neither was there the 

 least sign of blood or hairs, and it was a relief to know that 



