A PANTHER HUNT. 
251 
khakee , and wore on his head a small cap with flaps to pull 
over his ears when the wind blew cold. I never saw a 
native so restless in mind and body as little Banawat Beg. 
He had an eye like a hawk, and appeared to know every 
beast, bird and tree in the jungle. 
It would be difficult to say which of these men had been 
present at the death of most tigers, and there was a good 
deal of jealousy between them, but for once they were 
fully agreed as to the only practicable way of beating the 
fort. This was to divide it into two halves by a line of 
men armed with tom-toms and crackers, and beat down 
one half first and the other after. We got plenty of men 
without difficulty, for almost everyone in the town had to 
avenge the death of a fine goat or a favourite dog ; but 
the tom-toms had all been engaged for a marriage at the 
house of a wealthy vakeel y and we could not get one. But 
Banawat Beg, always fertile in resource, went to the 
coppersmith’s lane and hired a hundred kettles and large 
handies , which when struck with hollow bamboos made an 
abominable din. As soon as we could get into suitable 
trees, the beat began, with the usual yelling and shouting 
so familiar to every shikarree. Above all I could hear 
the sonorous voice of Tajoob Khan, challenging the 
