862 A LONG-DEFERRED MEETING. 



months, which had affected vegetation in the wilds as well as crops and 

 pasturage. The ordinary water supplies of the country having dried up, 

 spotted-deer, monkeys, jungle-fowl, and smaller creatures, were collected in 

 unusual numbers in the neighbourhood of the Honhollay river. Such was 

 the drought that no water had flowed in its bed for months, and the supply 

 was now confined to a few pools. 



It would have been inexcusable butchery to have shot many of the 

 deer thus forced to the locality by the most pressing of creature wants^ 

 thirst ; so contenting myself with one fat stag, to afford my men a parting 

 feast, I wandered on, watching the different animals and scenes till sun- 

 set, and then mounted my trap and drove homewards. I was allowing the 

 pony to jog along at his own pace, and thinking of the months that 

 must elapse before I should again set foot in these free and beautiful 

 wilds, when Murga, who was sitting behind me, touched my shoulder and 

 said " Panther." I looked, and at a bend in the narrow track, about forty 

 yards ahead, I caught sight of a large panther just disappearing into the 

 jungle. We knew him instantly as an old brute that had defied all the arts 

 of the trackers and myself to bring to book since I settled at Morlay. There 

 were only two panthers in our jungles ; the second was a female, and 

 smaller than the male. This cunning old fellow would never kill our " ties," 

 nor lie up in thickets where we could find him during the day. He pro- 

 cured his prey (dogs and stray cattle) in villages far in the open country, 

 and was thus independent of the picketed animals with which we strove to 

 tempt him, in the hope of tracing him, when gorged, to his lair. He 

 was never to be found in any of the larger thickets, but resorted to 

 straggling, undefined country, where it was impossible to arrange any sure 

 plans for driving him. He had become so cunning, through being subjected 

 to several unsuccessful hunts, that we latterly gave up making special 

 search for him, and trusted to some accident to throw him into our hands 

 at last. Here was such a chance. 



Oh that I had only seen him a moment sooner ! thought I. My rifle 

 was at hand, and I could hardly have failed to bag him. Murga was of 

 opinion that he might show himself again. He said, " You know, sir, he 

 invariably keeps along paths. If you run quietly to the bend you may see 

 him." Seizing my double express I reached the place where the panther 

 had disappeared, leaving Murga with the trap. I noticed that his footprints 

 led along this part of the road, and he must therefore have been visible from 

 the trap, had we but been looking ahead, some time before we saw him. I 

 peered into the jungle. All was quiet. I went a few paces forward and 

 looked round the bend. There was the brute, walking along in the silent 



