son designate that noble person. Alas ! poor worm
that I was, how soon was I to be taught the real
humility of my position! After we had made our
way through the small crowd who were doing homage
to the great lady, and Button, with his best bow, had
said, ''AHow me to introduce Captain MelviHe," I
was treated to the most disdainful of inclinations —
one which marked my exact position in society — and
while I retired to meditate on my littleness, her lady-
ship turned to renew her conversation with a more
important person. But my moment of compensation
was at hand. The member of Council suddenly
turned round and said, ''Did I hear the name of
Captain Melville of the — ^thl" I modestly replied
"Yes," and he went on, "I have just come out from
England, and saw the Prince before starting, and he
told me to be sure to make your acquaintance, if
possible, and to give his remembrances to his old
friend."
I tried to look unconscious of the change that came
over Lady Winkle^s face as she overheard this short
colloquy. She turned, and positively beamed on me,
saying-
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52 TALES FBOM ''BLACKWOOD.'^
''I had heard that you had airiyed at the statkm,
Captam MelvillOy and have been so anxious to make
your acquaintance. Sir Bodolph and I will he so
delighted if you can arrange to come and dine with
us some night soon. Good gracious t what's thati"
That was the arrival on the scene of a dogcart with
a tandem of ponies, driven by one of our subalterns,
accompanied by another, which, after wending a de-
vious course from barracks, had finally pulled up
with the leader's fore-legs in the Parsee's victoria,
and the wheeler, with its ears back, showing every
disposition to kick. By the exertions of the «^ee9,
however, and a liberal use of explanatory language
from the ambitious driver, the complicated knot was
untied, and order restored. The boys got out and
joined in the chaffing crowd, which had collected to
watch their approack Among the ring of natives
who had gathered round, my attention was much
attracted by the appearance of a striking-looking old
man, with fiercely twisted-up moustache, and long
grey beard, who had pushed to the front, and seemed
to take a marked interest in the scene. He looked
like an old soldier, and his high features, tall stature,
and muscular development spoke of a different race
from the more peaceful-looking natives of the south
by whom he was surrounded. I could not see that
he carried any arms ; but though he did not liave
quite the uniform disciplined air which marks the
native army nowadays, he might have been a non-
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OOIKGIDIirOBS ? ? 63
eommiasioned o£Scer of irregalaray or rather one of
the semi -drilled and organised levies of a native
ruler.
The youngest of the boys who had come in the
tandem cart was one of the subalterns of my draft ; a
fresh, cheery youngster, the son of a very distinguished
officer, who had been particularly commended to my
care by his father, and who had been attached to my
company accordingly. His father had been one of
the heroes of the Mutiny, and had made a name for
himself by his fearless gallantry in action, for the d^
votion of his native followers, and also in no small
degree for the unsparing severity with which he had
meted out justice to mutineers and rebels. He was
equally well known in the army as " Mackinnon the
brave," or as ** the avenging ColoneL" As the sub-
altems walked about, I could not help remarking that
the old native seemed to take particular notice of this
boy, and followed him wherever he went Some-
times it seemed that he got between him and the
crowd, and even made a sort of half-turn backwards,
as if to protect him from another follower. With
each movement^ his expression appeared to change.
When he looked at young Mackinnon, nothing could
have been more benevolent and kindly; and when
he turned to look behind him, he threw back his
head and glcured, stem, haughty, and defiant.
I knew that it was hopeless to appeal to Lady
Winkle or my friend Button for any information
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6i TALIS FROM "BULGKWOOD*
about a casual nativey so I looked for some one mora
familiar witii the fiequenters of the bazaar. The
station magistrate had just cantered up after his
usual hard day's office-work, and I asked him who
was the old Pathan who was following young Mac-
kinnon.
" Pathan ! my dear fellow, I don't see any Pathan.'*
** There," I pointed. "Perhaps he is not a
Pathan, but he does not belong to this part of India.
That tall old man with the small red turban and long
greybeard."
Again he looked, and again declared that he saw
nobody in the least like my description. I thought
this oddy but only concluded that the good magis-
trate's sight was beginning to go, and that he was
too proud of his personal appearance to appear in
public with spectacles on the eyes whose glance made
local malefactors tremble before him. However, the
band commenced " God save the Queen." The crowd
began to disperse slowly. The subalterns got their
tandem under way towards barracks with some diffi-
culty. I lost sight of the old nativcy and Button and
I started on our homeward stroll under the sunniest
of smiles from Lady Winkle, and repeated invitations
to come and see her soon at the Eeddency, and on no
account to content myself in the future with writing
my name in her visitors' book.
" Very odd how that native stuck to young Mao*
kinnoui" I said to Button. .
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OOINOIDJCMOJBB ? ? 65
"^Hy dear HelTille^ yon must haye made some
xnistake. I heazd yon talking about an old man
ifith a red turban, and saw where you pointed ; but^
for the life of me, I could see nobody but the usual
lot of idle coolies."
** Button, you know nothing about it. I belieye
you would hardly know the difference between a
coolie and a ngaL"
The usual routine of garrison lif o went on for
seyeial days after this, and the season was so hot
that little was done beyond the most ordinary duty,
which indeed came round rather heavily on all the
officers who were not on leave, as there had been a
smartish outbreak of fever, which some attributed to
infection brought by natives from the bazaar, where
there was always a certain amount of latent disease.
Among others, the lad who used to drive Mackinnon
about in the tandem cart was knocked over by a
severe attack, and the doctors were doing all they
could to patch him up sufficiently to move him to
the hills and eventually to England. We were all
getting rather hipped and low-spirited, and some
excitement was much required to take our minds and
conversation off the eternal subjects of the height of
the thermometer and the doctor^s daily report of the
cases in hospital It was much to our delight then
that a message was received one day from Yussuf
All, who commanded the irregular cavalry of the
ruler of the native State near which we were serving.
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£6 TALES FROM ''BLACKWOOD.**
to say that a panther had been caught alive in a trap,
which he would have enlarged on the maidan half
an hour before sundown, and asking any of us, who
felt inclined for a ride to join in spearing it Even
those of us who could not command the services of a
sufficiently trustworthy horse for such a risky sporty
could at any rate look on ; and those who had horses
spent the rest of the afternoon in sharpening boar-
spears and looking to the soundness of our saddlery.
As the evening approached, the company began to
gather on the maidan^ about a mile from barracks.
The maidan^ the scene of action, was a rolling plain,
rather long than wide, as the cantonment of the
native infantry bounded it on one side, while the
other was fringed at a distance of a mile and a half
by scrubby and rocky jungle. Its length stretched
away for miles ; and in the distance we could only
dimly see, blue in the evening light, a range of rocky
heights, with one white mwtfid standing out in bright
relief. The grass was brown, scorched, and dry;
and, but that the dust did not rise in clouds, the
appearance was that of a barren sandy plain.
Several ladies had come to look on, who were
perched on elephants, out of harm's way. Lady
Winkle was most imposing on a huge and steady
animal belonging to the heavy battery. The sotoar
escort had been dispensed with; but Sir Rodolph
was there himself, with a gleam of excitement and
enthusiasm in his eye, for he had been a fine rider
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OOmCIDENCES ? ? 57
and a bold shtkarrif before accession of dignity and
incieasing yean and waistband had made him with-
draw from the delights of snaffle, spur, and spear,
and devote his energies to administration alone^
Lady Winkle was condescending enough to remem-
ber that her friendly interest had been aroused in
me, and nearly fell out of the howdah in her anxiety
to tell me how much she hoped I would get " first
spear." As I was riding a commonplace old Waler,
whose ideas of pace were most limited, I did not
anticipate that I should be called upon to receive a
crown of laurel or its Indian equivalent from her fair
and pudgy hand.
Besides the ladies and some few other mounted
European onlookers, there was the usual mob of
natives which is to be found at every show; but
these remained at a most respectful distance from the
central spot, the black cart, on which was the huge
wooden trap containing the panther.
There were six sportsmen who were going to join
in the chase. Yussuf Ali himself, a lithe, light,
active, and very handsome Mussulman — a magnifi-
cent horseman, and perfect master of all weapons —
a polished gentleman in his quiet courteous manners,
and withal a brilliant and dashing soldier. Bad was
it for him that he lived while the Pax Britannica
controlled India. If he had been bom in the days
of the old Mc^^ul emperors, he was just the man to
have carved his way to the rule of one of the great
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68 TAI^BS FBOM '"BLACKWOOD."
proooDsnlates of which so many turned into inde-
pendent kingdoms. He lede a hi^-casfce flea-bitten
giey Arab, whose lean head, iron legs, thin well-set-
on tail, and mnscnlar shape, covered by a skin which
showed the tracery of veins nndemeath, marked the
purest Uood of the desert
Almost as well mounted was young Mackinnon,
who well maintained the credit of England in his
firm and sporting seat and determined air. His
rather ragged-looking Waler did not show the same
quality as the grey Arab; but it had won several
races pretty easily ; and though his master carried a
hog-spear for the first time, we all felt it was likely
tiliat the struggle for the honours of the day would
be between him and the gallant Mussulman.
Kext to him was Captain Johnson of the native
infantry, one of the keenest sportsmen on our side of
India^ whose exploits in pursuit of great game were
a constant topic of conversation and admiration. To
him no kind of encounter with savage beasts could
come amiss, and, under equal conditions, nobody
present could have hoped to ride on more than equal
terms with him. But he had only just returned from
a distant sporting expedition, his own horses had not
yet arrived, and he had been obliged to place his 6
feet 2 inches of bone and sinew on a friend's horse,
which certainly could not carry him alongside the
light weight& There remained to add to the field.
Button, myself, and another of our officers, all three
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oomciDXKGn 7 ? 69
detennined to be in at the death if posrible ; Imt ao
moderately provided with hoxeefleah that we could
hardly expect to be more than the reeezre in the first
attack.
The sun was rapidly sinking, and there was no
time to waste ; so all the spectators fell back to about
a hundred yards from the cart carrying the trap^
which remained black and solitary in the middle of
the plain. We took up our position in line in front
of the crowd, and could then see that a long rope was
fastened to the trap, by pulling which a bolt would
be drawn, and the side furthest from us opened. One
of Tussuf Ali's servants ran forward, at a signal from
his master, pulled the rope, and as quickly bolted
back behind the shelter of the spears. I had never
seen a panther enlarged before, and had expected the
animal to bound forth at once, the moment the way to
liberty was open. Our friend did nothing of the kind,
however. He had been for two days in the trap, and
was probably rather stiff, and certainly cowed and
sulky. At last, after several stones had been thrown
at the trap, and had rattled on its wooden sides, we
could just see a long black-looking body gliding from
the cart, and drawing itself sinuously along the
ground. The native crowd set up a shout^ and that
and the familiar feeling of the ground beneath his feet
made him quicken his pace. The light gleamed on
his yellow sides, he looked round him to see the safest
direction in which to shape his course, and bounded
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60 TALES FROM ''BLACKWOOD/'
towards the jiingla. We instinctiyely drew our leiiui
tighter, grasped our boai^spears firmer, pressed our
legs to our horses' sides, and prepared for the gallop.
The panther was half cantering, half bounding towards
the friendly shelter which he had marked, and rapidly
shaking off his stifi&iess and increasing his distance
from us. We all turned to Yussuf , who was a perfect
picture, as he sat with his spear held high in the air
on his half-rearing horse, whose eye sparkled with the
same excitement as his master'a The panther had
got between three and four hundred yards' starts
when Yussuf shouted " Eide 1 " We sat down to our
work, and tore in pursuit
As we expected, Mackiniion and Yussuf quickly
shot ahead ; but the stride of the Waler gave the
latter the advantage, and besides, he was rather on
the right) the side towards which the panther was
bending, and had thus less ground to go over.
Johnson was a bad third; but his cool and
experienced eye had marked the panther^s probable
line, and his fine horsemanship enabled him to save
every inch of ground, and would probably bring him
up at the critical moment The rest of us could only
say that we had an excellent view of the chase^ as we
toiled in rear.
Mackinnon, with his^ spear ready for the thrust^
was rapidly gaining on the panther, who looked over
his shoulder and seemed to calculate whether he
could cover the half-mile which lay between him and
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OOHrCIDKNOES ? ? 61
Milttty before the thundering hoofs behind him ^ould
be alongside. All at onoe he stopped in his gallop
and erouched, almost facing his pusuer, with bristles
erect and glaring eyes. The Waler's heart failed him
when he fonnd himself face to face with the defiant
beast The hone shied to one side, crossed his legs,
and made a tremendous stumble on to his nose.
Hackinnon, who had been leaning forward with
poised spear, was thrown on to his horse's ears. The
panther's spring was delivered, and I felt my heart
sink. Suddenly— eould I believe my eyes t I could
have sworn that there was no one on the plain a
moment before — there was a native at Mackinnon's
horse's head, whose ready hand on the bridle had
saved the Waler from falling. The panther's spring
had missed in consequence, and the lad managed to
regain his seat Yussuf s ready spear passed through
the spotted body as he shot past, and a minute after-
wards Johnson gave the coup de grace. The whole
was momentary, and when I joined the group, the
danger and excitement were over, and the panther
lay in death before the snorting horses.
''Lucky for you, my boy," I said, "that that
native saved your falL You just escaped being badly
clawed."
** What native do you mean, Melville 1 " Mackinnon
replied. '^ This confounded brute gave an awful peck,
just as I was going to take the spear, and it was all I
eould do to get him on his legs again.''
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62 TALBS FROM '< BLAOKWOOD."
** Welly m swear there was a native standing by at
the tima I could just see a red turban over your
horse's shoulder, though I could not diBtingnish his
face."
<< Any way, he can't be far off, and he is sure to
come and ask for hackaheeah for his services. He
deserves something for his pluck, at any rate, in
putting himself in our spotted friend's way." We
looked round, but there was nobody. The shouting
crowd of onlookers came up, and in the quickly
closing night and the maze of turbans, red, blue, and
white, that surrounded us, further search was im-
possible. I could not help feeling certain, however,
that I was right, though both Yussuf and Johnson,
who had been nearer to Mackinnon than I, assured
me they saw nobody. The panther was padded on
one of the elephants. Lady Winkle waved us a
dignified adieu as she changed the rocking howdah
for her easy rolling carriage, to return to the Eesidency.
We lighted our cigars, and slowly rode homewards,
the others discussing every incident of the novel sport,
while I silently pondered over Mackinnon's escape,
and tried to explain its circumstances satisfactorily to
myseli
Again the dull and depressing routine of barrack
life. We had got through the worst of the hot
weather ; but the brazen sun by day and the hot
winds by night still made exertion wearisome, and
sleep almost impossible. We looked eagerly forward
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COINGIDKNGSS?? 63
to the retom from leave of some luckj brother offioeis,
who had been bracing themselTes in the hilla, when
some of xiBy at least, would be able to quit the swelter-
ing cantonment in our turn. The happy day came at
last) and Button, Mackinnon, and I were told that
we might be off for a montL We were all pretty
well in spite of the long grilling we had gone through ;
and we decided that we wanted change of scene more
than change of climate, and that we would spend our
time in the fresher, if not much cooler air of the
jungle, and carry out a long- projected campaign
against some tigers that we had heard of in a neigh-
bouring district We had been in communication
with shikarris for some time, in case such a chance
should offer itself, so we had little to do but to start
off our tents and servants, and arrange for relays of
horses to carry us over the first sixty or seventy miles
from the station, when we should find ourselves nearly
at our shooting-ground, and continue the march with
our camp, which we should then have overtaken.
Sehold us at last in the saddle, at one o'clock in
the morning, or rather in the middle of a starlight
night The moon has sunk below the horizon, but
the Southern Cross has risen and illumines our way.
The sentry on the main guard challenges as we pass,
and gives his parting benediction, '' Pass, friend, and
all's welL" We clatter through the bazaar, disturb-
ing troops of pariah dogs fighting and growling over
the filthiest offal, and push into the silent countiy.
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64 TALES KBOM ''BLACKWOOD."
How weiid and beautiful it all looks 1 The gnarled
banyan-trees throw deep shadows here and there
across the road, and everything that was burned and
miserable-looking under the sunlight is covered with
a mystic charm by the calm quiet night On and
still on we press, past native temples, whose ghastly
images look still more ghastly than by day and glare
stonily. Through small hamlets, nearly riding over
the inhabitants, who are wooing the cool air, and are
lying asleep in the roadway, wrapped in their white
cloths. Past the Tapal runner, with letter - bag on
his back, jogging along the road to the distant town.
His tinkling bell is the only sound that breaks the
silence, and we think of its old name, " the tiger's
dinner-bell," and how often, on that very road, the
post-runner had been missing, and a blood-stained
letter- bag had been found, the only relic to mark
where the man-eating scourge of the country-side had
seized his prey. Past rocks and water-courses, over
open cultivated country, and through jungle wood-
land, till we arrived under the grim shadow of an old
fort perched on a rocky eminence, where we fomid
our first relay of horses waiting, and felt that we had
covered twenty miles of our journey. What a de-
licious and refreshing feeling it is to drop into a cool
saddle and feel a fresh horse springing gaily imder
you, after the experience of the last five miles of a
tired hack, keeping him on his legs on a rough road,
and kicking him along to keep your time I Again
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CX)INGmENOBS?? 65
ire prees on to gain our halting-place bef oie the sun
comes oat in power once more, and we do not draw
rein till we arrive at the old hut, under the friendly
shade of a tope of trees, where we intend to wait till
night shades ns on our onward way. Just six o'clock,
and we have done forty miles — ^not bad going in the
dark. We found our second relay of horses here,
and, oh blessed sight ! a small table with tea ready
laid out How good it was to sit and sip it under
the leafy boughs I What would Indian wayfaring
be without these icpes at intervals along the roads,
which are as well known to travellers as the wayside
inns in England t Where would the European official
or sportsman pitch his camp) Where would the
humble wayfarer halt during the broiling hours to
cook his chuppcUH and have his mid-day siesta 1 and
where could a reasonably cool draught of water be
found but in the well under those pleasant natural
arches, impervious to the darts of even an Indian
sun % We settled down to get through the day, and,
indeed, had small difficulty in doing sa There were
some old eharpoys in the hut, and, kicking off our
boots, we collapsed into sleep, which passed the hot-
test houtrs most satisfactorily. At sundown we again
got under way, and by nine o'clock saw our camp
gleaming white in the moonlight before us. Bath
and a light supper were most welcome, and we turned
in, thinking over the campaign which we were about
to commence. The jungle air felt fresh, and the
T.8. — Y. B
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66 TALSS FROM "^ BLACK WOOD.*
jungle wind comparatiToIy oool; bat every tent-
door was opened wide, and curtains rolled up, to
profit by it as much as we could. Closely tucked
round with mosquito-net, I beard the insects of the
night hurling themselves vainly against my couch,
and chuckled drowsily at their discomfiture. Our
followers lay round the camp-fire, and their snores
rose in chorus with the slow chewing of the bullocks^
the pawing of a restless horse at his picket-rope, and
the unearthly shriek of the jackal prowling near.
The camp was astir with the first faint glimmer of
dawn, and when we turned out among the already
half -loaded baggage - carts, we found two shtkarris
squatted on the ground near our tents, waiting to
give us their report on our chances of sport Closely
wrapped in their cloths to protect them from the
morning air, these jungle sages were looking with
contempt on the, to them, derogatory occupations of
our domestic servants.
Our best hopes were realised when we were told
that two tigers had been haunting a piece of jungle
about seven miles distant, and that, if we would
march on that day to the neighbourhood, they, the
shikarriSf would arrange to have bufialoes tied up
during the following night round the likely haunts,
and if one of this live bait was killed, we might hope
to have a successful beat Nothing could be more
satisfactory, and our march was ordered accordingly.
We moved ofi^ a most imposing procession. Two
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CX)INGn)ENCKS ? ? 67
dephantS) lent by the ever -kindly minister of the
native State, camels, horses, bullock-carts, and a most
miscellaneous assortment of followers, from the conse-
quential belted peon and the grim-looking Mkarri,
with his old matchlock on his shoulder, to the low-
est tag-rag of water-cairieis and sweepers, completed
by the inevitable native women, who followed their
husbands, carrying curiously wise-looking babies on
their hips, and all their worldly possessions in a
bundle on their heada Sooth to say, the three
European sahibs were not the most respectable-
looking of the crowd. Unahaved faces, rusty-look-
ing shikar clothes, enormous and hideous sun-hats,
formed an emenible which might be comfortable, but
was neither dignified nor becoming.
We had at last plunged into real jungle life and
scenery ; the quaint and picturesque cavalcade moved
through a landscape in which the brilliant red blossom