In the tiny hours of the night they distinctly heard the tiger comingand saw a huge black shadow moving stealthily towards their tree. Theanimal looked enormous in the uncertain light and each thought themachan too low and wished himself inside his house in the village. Neitherdablack to speak or move.

Not far from the machan was a hillock. The tiger, after stalkinground the tree, went to the corpse, smelled it, and then crossing tothe hillock climbed up and sat himself there. The men felt sure hecould now look at them,