The evening times., 1898-06-04

ten KOS place, ana tuey WOuiu 20 lndt
night and be ready for business in the
early morning. He was an early bird.
was this tiger, getting up for his chota
hazree at daylight, and surely might
the sahib bag him just when the crows
began to call the breaking day.
Half a dozen of the other fellows
went with Doyne to see fair play be-
tween him and the tiger-as sort of
beaters, they explained. Not that they
took any interest in the killing Of the
tiger; they had outgrown that-grown
weary of 1t.
So, instead of turning in that night,
when the business of the evening was
over, when whist, billiards and Cup
had been settled for another twenty
four hours, they took to horse and hied
them over the ten kos.
Buldoo was there when they arrived
and explained to Herbert the plan of
campaign.
The bait had been placed down in a
hollow, or sort of low-lying field, which
gave them a good chance to steal upon
the game.
Toward daylight. under the guidance
of Buldoo, they worked their way
along TO this place.
Nov We'll have to crawl up this
slope on our stomachs, like Indians
stealing upon a foe," said Herbert to
Doyne; and suiting the action to the
word he got down and began to wrig-
gle along like snake in the grass,
followed by the Cherub.''
The Cherub' thought the crawling
would never come to an end; IL seemed
as though he had really gone about
four miles; but he could stand it If the
others could, he thought, SO he said
nothing. but kept crawling
Ssv,,< n
the incline up which they had been
wriggling. Herbert put out his hand
and stopped him. Then he pointed
down in the hollow straight ahead of
him.
There was just gray enough coming
up the eastern sky for him to see the
tiger.
Don't miss him." whispered Her
bert, as Doyne leveled his Express"
He waited until the light got a little
better. until he could see the sights on
his rifle. AS he looked over the barrel
he could just make out the fierce brute
tearing at the bait.
He took a long, careful aim-it was
wonderful how long it took him to get
a bead on the undulating form of the
huge beast as it tore at the yearling
heifer that had been placed there as
bait. 1t was nerves; he had thought
that he would be wondrous steady.
but he was nearly going to pieces For
the thousandth part of a second the
sights lined up against the dark body
OF the animal. With a spasmodic
clutch pulled the trigger.
Above the, noise of his rifle he could
hear the roar of the wounded tiger,
for he had bowled him over.
Better give him another one" said
Harhort nvriekIV ND ha
They were Joined by the other fell
lows as they rushed down.
Damn you, HERBERT" was all ''the
Cherub" said when they stood at the
side Of the slain animal-it was a jack
ass, just a common little jackass, tied
to stake in the ground.
Then, sorrowfully. as men returning
from a funeral, they wended their way
back over that ten kos, and Doyne
knew that for many days there would
be food. for cheerful banter in Hokey-
poorey.
It was felt that a great thing had
been done; it would be sacriIege to
perpetrate any commonplace joke up
on Doyne for some time to come. He
was. as it were. made free of the city.
BY one of those peculiar chances of
fortune which give into the hands of
the innocent for which the wise strug-
gle, '.the Cherub'' had become pos
sessed Of a really fast pony. 1t was
not his fault; it was not Judgment of
pace, or make, or any ther-qualifica-
ton under Gods heaven-nothing but
simply cooley-headed luck.
He had bought an Arab polo pony
for 800 rupees from Abdul Rahman in
Bombay. and 10! it had turned ont a
cracking good gee-gee.
He had tried to give him a classical
name, but from the first the pony was
known as Vaseline. That was because
Doyne slipped from his back SO easily
at first
Doyne also took no small satisfaction
from the fact that Vaseline could slip
away from the other ponies in race
just as easily.
Then came the two-day "Sky Races"
with Vaseline barred from all but the
two open events"
These were considered a gift for
Doyne's speedy little horse. But all the
same. he would have to have some
thing to run for, to pay his own bill;
besides the fellows would all get their
money back when vaseline was sent
up to Lucknow, in February, to run
the good 'uns"
Doyne was training Vaseline himself.
which was proof positive that the pony
must be a cracker II he could win in
any company with training such as he
got.
OF course. as there weren't many
strangers coming to the small meet at
Hokeypoorey, OF q necessity the regi-
ment WAS house divided against it.
self. each brother officer with bit
up his sleeve, and hopeful idea that
somehow or another he would come out
on the right side on settling day over
the lotteries.
It was Herbert's pony. Curry Boy,
that was dead lame the day before the
races commenced.