210 SPORT IN BENGAL. 



and run into a patch of wild arrowroot and brambles, from 

 the midst of which grew a jack-fruit tree, on the upper 

 branches of which she was lying almost concealed from her 

 tormentors below, who were hurling clods, sticks, and spears 

 at her, not escaping themselves scot-free, two having been 

 scratched on the back and legs before she was tree'd. On 

 our arrival a charge of small shot, fired by one of our 

 followers, brought her down like lightning, and she made off 

 at speed across the fields, but not without leaving her sign- 

 manual upon another man, whom she knocked over like a 

 ninepin, and also bit, but not badly. Being quite prepared 

 we were after her at once, and overtaking her in the open, 

 she was speared without any mishap beyond a skin-deep 

 scratch on my galloway's off leg, from the stifle downwards. 

 This animal was barely full grown, and measured only six 

 feet four inches in length. As soon as the Arab mare re- 

 cognised the beast in front of her she bolted clean away, 

 and almost unseating P. over a bank and ditch, made for the 

 Factory then in sight, where, on our arrival, we found him 

 drinking shandygaff and reviling his steed. Poor P. ! he has 

 long gone down the stream to the unknown and boundless 

 sea to which we are -all floating down after him, more or less 

 rapidly, like so many air or water bubbles. 



It has been remarked that a panther may be met with 

 when least expected, and it may be added that its ability to 

 hide unseen is remarkable, as the following incident will 

 show. In craft, too, this animal is superior to the tiger, and 

 probably to the lion also. 



As W. H. R. and I were~one October afternoon plodding 

 through green rice-fields, intent upon making a great bag of 

 snipe, the season being at its best, we were told by a couple 

 of Mussulman cultivators, who ran up to us, that a panther 

 had been seen to enter a small bit of jungle a mile from where 

 we were shooting, and they begged us to kill it, as it lay 

 close to their houses. According to custom our bags contained 

 a few ball cartridges, and luckily, too, R. had come out to the 

 snipe-ground upon a young female elephant about six and a 



