350 The Hunting Grounds 



was not sure which). He immediately dismounted, 

 drew his shot, and, loading with ball, stole as gingerly 

 as he could towards his game, which to his surprise 

 allowed him to approach tolerably near, when they 

 snorted in his face. Pat, taking a fair aim at the head 

 of the first, let drive, and immediately the animal 

 sank ; he then blazed away at the other, and wounded 

 it so severely that it began spinning round in the 

 water. He loaded again, and after some more dis- 

 charges, he " cooked its goose," and was in great glee 

 at having killed his first " large game." He, however, 

 forbore going into the tank to fetch them out, as he 

 said "he felt a bit scared-like for fear there might be 

 any more o' the craturs at the bottom of the wather," 

 so he called upon some villagers to help him. When 

 he had pointed out his game, to his great surprise they 

 began a series of vociferations and lamentations, beat- 

 ing their breasts, and howling in a most frantic manner. 

 "By the Powers !" says Pat, "sure it's one of their 

 sacred alligators I've been shooting !" So, mounting 

 his horse, he set off at full speed to Poonamallee, 

 where he arrived just as they were sitting down to 

 breakfast. He immediately told his adventure. The 

 griffins listened with wonder, but a cloud passed over 

 the face of the officer in charge, who, turning round in 

 a very grave manner to Pat, said : " Mr. Lynch, I am 

 afraid you have killed a brace of niggers, and got 

 yourself into a mess." Pat declared he had not, but 



