134) SPORT IN BENGAL. 



like diamonds, as the gentle night breeze breathed upon them. 

 Recalling to mind the visitors of the previous night, I looked 

 out for the sounder of pigs, longing for something to break 

 the monotony of the weary night watch, when a low sound 

 reached our ears, coming from some distance the other side 

 of the pond. Repeated, it sounded like a moan finished off 

 with a snarl, and it approached slowly and steadily ; ten 

 minutes elapsed and Doolap again called my attention this 

 time not to any sound but to an object at which I was 

 already straining my eyes ; a few seconds more, and then as 

 clearly almost as in daylight, the head and shoulders of a 

 tiger appeared on the bank opposite us, distant sixty or 

 seventy paces ; and then they suddenly vanished. We waited 

 and waited in the vain hope of another view, but nothing 

 more was seen or heard that night ; the tigress had mani- 

 festly detected our presence in the tree through the moon's rays 

 beating full upon it, and had silently made off, suspicious of 

 some trap or stratagem. For a long time after she had dis- 

 appeared, a feeling of uncertainty and uneasiness took 

 possession of us, not knowing whether having seen us, she 

 was not crawling round to attack us on the flank or rear ; 

 accordingly we sat back to back, watching keenly with our 

 fingers on triggers. 



It is unnecessary to give the details of three other night- 

 watches kept; two on platforms hidden completely by 

 branches and bundles of grass, and fche third in a hole in the 

 ground some distance from camp, but beside a spot still red 

 with the blood of another human victim struck down the 

 preceding afternoon ; we saw nothing of her, and only once 

 more heard the " pheeow " at a considerable distance. 



A fortnight had nearly passed since my arrival ; five more 

 men had been destroyed, and, notwithstanding all our efforts, 

 a glimpse for a second or two was our sole reward. I -had 

 begun to think that I ought to have taken a snap-shot on the 

 mere chance of a lucky hit, but expected the tigress to 

 descend to drink in the tank, and thus to present a fair mark 

 at fifty paces or less. Moula Buksh's visage grew longer, 



