en the presence of man does not
disturb the domain of the beasts of the forest. Here was a tree with
deep, clean marks all the way up its trunk, from which the sap was still
oozing, showing us that for some purpose a bear had climbed up it in the
early morning, though why we could not tell, as there was neither fruit
nor leaf on its bare branches.

And then a turn in the path brought us to the kill, to the tragedy of a
few hours ago. Surely this is the work of a tiger--the broken neck, the
tail bitten off and flung aside, the hind-quarters partly consumed? No,
for there are only the marks of a panther's pads and none of any tiger.
They lead away into some dense jungle in front, and from here we decide
to work.

Leaving the beaters here, we went by a circuitous way until we arrived
two or three hundred yards ahead of the direction the beat would take.
Here we were nonplussed, for the jungle was so dense and the
configuration of the ground such that there were many chances in favour
of any animal that might be before the beat being able to make a very
good bid for eluding the enemy.

However, we came to a place which appeared as good as any, and, as both
of us seemed to think that it would suit himself exceedingly well, we
drew lots, and, contrary to my usual luck, I drew the longer of the two
pieces of grass and decided to remain, while Blake took up his position
about fifty yards to my left.

When shooting in the jungle, it is the practice of most to shoot from a
tree, not so much from a sense of added security--as both bears and
panthers think little of running up a tree and mauling you there--but
from the better field of view you get. Accordingly, as there was a small
tree near, I ascended, and, because the footing was precarious and the
position unfavourable for a good shot, I buckled myself to a bough by
means of one of my stirrup-leathers. This is a device, by the way, which
I can most thoroughly recommend to all, for it as often as not gives you
free use of your arms, and even enables you to swing right round to
score a shot at a running object.

I had not long disposed myself thus, when the beat sprang into life with
a suddenness and intensity which made me pretty sure that they had
disturbed some animal. The shouting, cat-calling, and tom-tomming
increased in violence, when all at once I heard a quick and rather
hurried tread, tread, tread over the dry teak-leaves, and, looking that
way, out of the dense j