room." time a choking sensation, as I mounted my nag, and rode off just as the temptress was sailing into the After a hearty laugh at the Major's anecdote we bade him good night, and each made his way home. CHAPTER XV. THE NEILGHERRIES CONTINUED.-A NIGHT AFFAIR. News of a tiger. His last depredation. The ambuscade.-Lying in wait.-A night attack.-Exciting moments.-The spoiler vanquished. The return.-News of ibex, and an expedition to the Koondah range.-Ibex-stalking.-B-'s wonderful shooting. The game nearly lost.-The ibex described.— Return to Ooty. TIME ME passed most pleasantly on the hills, for the days were spent in exploring parties and field sports of every description; the evenings in social gatherings, enlivened by the presence of female society; and the nights in deliciously sound repose, which in itself is one of the greatest luxuries an Anglo-Indian can enjoy, for in the low country during the hot season the unsupportably close and oppressive period between sunset and early dawn is more distressing and enervating than the intense heat of the day; for during this time not a breath of air agitates the branches of the highest trees, candles burn in the open air without flickering, the atmosphere is suffocatingly close, and unless the punkah is kept continually going the European can obtain no sleep, but tosses about restlessly on his couch, and gets up in the morning feeling as weary, tired, and overcome with lassitude as when he laid down. This want of rest is more trying to our soldiers than any privation or fatigue they may experience during their sojourn in tropical climates; and of late years officers commanding regiments have been empowered by the Indian Government to employ coolies to keep the punkahs going day and night during the hot months, which has been found to have an extremely salutary effect. One day I was superintending the manufacture of a batch of "goorakoo"* for my hookah, according to a recipe I obtained from one of the retainers of Mah-rajah Chundalal, the late Dewan of the Deccan, when Chineah came with the *Goorakoo, from the Sanscrit word "goor," sugar, and the Telegoo "akoo," a leaf, is the compound used in the hookah. The following is the best recipe I ever met with:-"Take of tobacco four seers (16 lbs.), common treacle four seers, woodapple (feronia elephantum) half a seer, preserved apples, plantains or pineapple, half a seer, raisins half a seer, and goolgund' (conserve of roses) half a seer. Pound these ingredients well together in a large wooden mortar, adding cardamums, sandal-wood, otto of roses, and spikenard, according as you want it more or less scented. When it is well mixed, and has assumed the consistency of a thick paste, add a seer of dried rose-leaves, then put it in an earthen pot, the mouth of which must be made perfectly air-tight by being waxed over, and bury it for three months, after which it is ready for use. intelligence that a tiger had struck down a bullock belonging to some Mulchers about five miles distant, and after having sucked the blood had left the carcass, which Naga and Googooloo had gone to watch, to prevent its being carried away by the chucklars (shoemakers), or Pariahs (low caste people). B― had gone out to reconnoitre some ibex ground on the Koondah range, and as I did not expect him to return until late in the evening I made preparations to start alone. Tiffin eaten, I set out for the spot accompanied by Chineah, the Gooroo, and a horse-keeper who carried my rifles, and after an hour's ride arrived at a little patch of cultivation surrounded on three sides by dense wood, where we found a fine white bullock lying dead in a pool of blood, with his throat torn and shoulder dislocated. I saw at a glance that the marauder was a large tiger, for besides the holes made in the throat by his fangs, and the marks of his claws in the back of the neck, which had torn up the flesh in ridges, there were several immense "pugs" deeply imprinted in the soft ground, near which the struggle had taken place. Googooloo and Naga had built an ambuscade in a tree, about ten feet from the ground, which commanded an excellent view of all approaches from the cover; but as I did not imagine that the tiger would return to his prey in the earlier part of the evening, and I should not have the advantage of the light of the moon until late, I determined to await his approach at close quarters, and made the gang dig a hole about four feet deep under a low overhanging bush, much overgrown with creepers and parasitical plants, which was about half a dozen paces to leeward of the carcass. By making my place of concealment in the ground, I knew I should have a better chance of getting a sight of the tiger and taking more certain aim in the dark than if I was perched in a tree above him, besides which it seemed something more like fair play. Having lined my place of ambuscade with a carpet, so as to make it more comfortable, I carefully loaded my weapons, which were two double tenbore rifles, a double two-ounce gun, and a brace of large double holster-pistols; arranged my comforts for the inner man, consisting of a stone bottle of strong green tea, a flask of brandy, and a huge pile of sandwiches; and ordered all my followers to return to Ooty, with the horse, excepting Chineah and Googooloo, who were to keep watch in the tree so as to be at hand in case they might be wanted. All being prepared, as soon as the shadows of evening began to lengthen we took post, and during the few remaining hours of daylight I carefully noted every bush and undulation in the ground, so as to be better able to perceive anything in the dark. As the day declined the last rays of an un |