I 



SOME TIGER AND PANTHER STORIES 15 



road. Gulali, the shikari, who was a very good 

 man at his work, thought that the panther had 

 retired across the open ground, and would approach 

 the kill from that direction. Instead, therefore, 

 of tying a machan for me in the forest, he made 

 a platform on the top of a large bush, which was in 

 the open ground about 30 yards from the kill. 

 I got into the machan about 4.30 p.m. in bright 

 sunhght, as it was the month of March, and had 

 not sat there for more than half an hour when I 

 saw the panther moving in the forest on my 

 right front, about 150 yards away. He climbed 

 on to a large rock, which was in the forest, and lay 

 down facing the kill, to watch the road. In my 

 position I was completely exposed from the 

 waist upwards, and a solah topee does not 

 harmonise with any greenery. In the position 

 in which the panther was, also, I must have been 

 well within his line of vision, as I was not more 

 than eight feet or so from the ground. I sat, 

 however, perfectly rigid, and the panther failed 

 to discover my presence. After watching for 

 half an hour or more he turned on the rock and 

 began to watch the road in the other direction. 

 A shorter inspection of the road on this side 

 was sufficient to reassure him, and he began to 

 approach the kill. He took all the cover which 

 was available as he approached, but the sun 

 shone brilliantly on his skin, and he was clearly 

 visible. When he reached the kill his back 

 was towards me, and I thought he was mine ; 

 but, as I raised the rifle, the animal lifted his 

 head and half looked round, and, apparently, 

 his eye caught the glint of the rifle-barrels in the 



