Five Mile Beach weekly journal., 1914-08-14

head, and the two hunters were sud-
denly struck fat to the platform by
the falling of a heavy body upon themq
The platform shook, tottered and fell
crashing with its burden of two men
and a full grown panther. As the plat
form fell Daga Bendrib's gun went OF,
scattering a double charge of buck
shot.
The panther screamed savagely and
thudded heavily to the ground, rolling
over in agony. The double charge of
buckshot had entered its eyes and, so
far as the hunters were concerned, had
put the panther out OF business Tor
that occasion at least.
But the excitement was not yet over
As Perry and his tracker clambered
up to the remains of the fallen plat
form and each found a perch on the
supports which still chung to the four
trees the moon found an opening
among the trees and sent a broad shaft
of silver light into the jungle where
the dead bull lay. with the stiffening
panther neal by.
From the left hand thicket was a rep
etition of that low, deep, ominous
growl, ending in an ugly snarl; there
was a sudden rush of misplaced air as
something long and yellow and black
striped streaked across their vision to
fall upon the body of the panther. Z
There were the rending of flesh and
the c%runching of bones.
The two men in the trees shivered
and changed their positions.
The tiger ceased his feasting, and a
rigid line ran along his 1.-THE form.
His back was toward the platform,
and his left shoulder presented a splen-
did mark for a bullet.
Perry lifted his rihed shotgun to his
shoulder and fired.
Bangi
The tiger whirled about, screamed
with pain and rage and was about to
charge the hunters in the tree when
there came another interruption from
the thicket.
This time it was a full grown tigress,
and she leaped straight toward the
broken platform.
A bullet from Perry's gun crashed
through her brain, and she fell stag
gering at the very foot Of the platform
supports. At the same instant Daga
Bendrib's gun spattered buckshot in
the eyes of the wounded tiger, and
while the beast paved blindly at them
another bullet from Perry's weapon
stretched him beside his dead mate in
the parched grass.
Perry drew a long breath and wiped
the cold sweat from his brow.
All around them were myriad sounds
from the startled denizens of the jun
gle. Aroused by the double killing
and attracted toward the spot by the
dead bull came jackals, hyenas and
others of their tribes.
Perry was anxious to protect he skins
he had won at the risk of his life, so
/ his gun answered the cries of the jun
gle beasts while Daga Bendrib sped
toward the village to bring help.
In half an hour the two tigers and
the panther We're dashed at the heels of
an OK team and the dead bodies were.
draggedto-aAe seftS5hut on-+Ae>s
skirts Of the village Where Daga Bend
rib and his son-in-law and his two
brothers and their son-in-laws set to
work to skin the three animals for the
great sahib.
Perry went back to the tree in order
to guard the village from a surprise
visit from the panther's mate or from
other beasts, if the smell of blood
| should attract them into the village
The body of the bull had entirely dis
| appeared now, and from distant thick
| cts Perry could hear the jackals snari-
ing over the fragments they had st0-
len.
He was tired and happy. The nights
| excitement had been a pleasant relaxa-
alton after the dullness of bug hunting
at this season., and he was grateful
indeed for the information which Daga
Bendrib had brought him concerning
the d~epredations of the tiger which
had killed the bull.
Perry nodded in the crotch of the
tree.
The sun was slanting in his eyes
when he was awakened by the sound
of voices at the foot of the tree.
He looked down and saw several
men standing there. They were neigh
bors of Daga Bendrib. They were
speaking of the triple killing made by
the white sahib.
THAT Daga Bendrib, he is a clever
man." said one enviously. "Who but
Daga Bendrib and his son-in-law
would have dreamed of killing his best
bull-the finest in the village-and then
running ten miles to the bungalow of
the white sahib and telling aim that a
tiger had been seen in the village and
had carried off a bull?"
"Who indeedY' echoed his compan-
ions.
"And, 10, when the white sahib re-
turns with Daga Bendrib and with the
promise of many rupees If a tiger is
| shot units for tho uickod hon st-whv