ROUGHING IT IN SOUTHERN INDIA 271 



talk, -watching and stirring the pots 1 on the crackling stick 

 fires — the talk would come afterwards, never fear ! 



Wedged in amongst the cooks and their willing helpers 

 were the dogs, for the most part quietly happy too, inhaling 

 the rich, appetising steam — an earnest of what was to come, 

 with only a low whine at intervals from some more impatient 

 one who could not brook the delay, being unable to gauge 

 the progress of his supper by peeping and peering as the 

 human assistants could do. 



Our dinner was cooking, too, and we ourselves were sitting 

 close to the tents on a great heap of moss watching a pretty 

 sight on the opposite hillside, where the grass had been 

 fired, and the surface was charred and burnt quite black all 

 over except where red, smouldering lines of light ran in and 

 out, twisting and turning like fiery serpents. But while 

 this was interesting me in a mild way, something else was 

 riveting F.'s attention. To me the silence had seemed 

 complete, when he said, very low, ' Hark ! ' and though I 

 listened I detected nothing ; then, ' Look ! look ! ' at the 

 same time pointing and staring downwards. I looked where 

 I supposed (wrongly) I was meant to — at our feet — for a 

 poochi (crawling insect of some sort) ; for all poochis were 

 of unflagging interest to him. There was no insect, and 

 I saw nothing, but in the selfsame instant found myself 

 grabbed hold of and flung aside like any bundle among the 

 tent ropes, heard, too, a ringing shout from F., which was 

 caught up, prompt as an echo, by every throat in the camp ; 

 why, none knew or cared, except as following suit, probably 

 from habit. But / soon knew, for F. beckoned me again to 

 look, pointing downwards as before, and this time I saw the 

 last few bounds of a tiger before he vanished among the 

 rocks in the enwrapping gloom. 



1 These pots were kerosene oil drums, which as well as two-gallon tins 

 make desirable, and eagerly begged-for, boilers when large quantities of food 

 are preparing. After being burnt out with straw they are perfectly free 

 from the slightest trace of oil. 



