all the cholera horns, tomtoms, and dubties, forming up in procession, poured forth their notes of triumph; and, joined by the voices of the united company of beaters, bearers, coolies, servants, sepoys, and villagers, the row was something fearful, and better to be imagined than heard. When we came near our camp the procession was re-formed; my gang and some of the sepoys amused themselves by dancing in front of the dead tigers, before which our guns were carried decked out with flowers, and singing an extemporary song, the burden of which was something to this effect:-"That great and gallant deeds had been performed that day; that four tigers of burnt fathers having eaten dirt, and the brave and generous gentlemen being satisfied with their day's sport, plenty of buksheesh and inam (rewards and presents) would, as a matter of course, fall to the lot of their well-wishing followers, whose months were watering and stomachs panting with the thoughts of how they would be filled by the sheep which the well-known charitable and generously-minded gentlemen would certainly distribute." The chorus, being taken up by the whole party, was something deafening.

The game was laid down on the open space o ground in front of the bungalow, and the ceremony of breaking up was commenced by the oldest shekarry present burning the whiskers of the dead tiger, whilst he sang a monotonous song, in which he abused the

whole race, and finished by spitting on his face and right paw.

The Begum, who, it appears, was watching the performance with great interest from the bungalow, sent one of her followers to me with plenty of salaam, and a request that I would send her a tiger's heart and liver, with some of the blood, for medicine: which I did, to her great satisfaction.

The game being now all broken up and cut into pieces, a fine haunch of venison was sent to our tents, and a young doe, which, when wounded, had been properly "hollolled" by a Mussulman (that is to say, had its throat cut whilst the operator muttered a certain text of the Koran, asking a blessing on the meat), sent for the acceptance of the Begum ; the rest was divided among the whole number of troopers, sepoys, beaters, and camp-followers.

We also made a subscription amongst us, which was divided as buksheesh, and every one went to his home satisfied and happy.

CHAPTER VI.

THE GANG.

The Begum's invitation accepted.-My Shekar gang.-Googooloo's history and the discovery of the Yanadi caste.Googooloo's gifts.-Insinuations.

AS I was standing superintending the preparation

of the skins, which my gang were pegging down tightly on the ground and rubbing with cocoa-nut oil and turmeric to preserve them, the black aidede-camp of the Begum came up, and, with many compliments on the part of his mistress, informed me that she would only be too happy if we would do her the honour of attending a nautch that evening.

I accepted the invitation on the part of us all, bidding him tell the Khanum sahiba "that her kindness had made a deep and lasting impression on our hearts, and that, ere the evening gun boomed through the camp, our shadows would cross her hospitable threshold," and then joined the other officers, who were sitting smoking in front of my tent and discussing the sports of the day.

"Do you think, Harry," asked W

as I came up, "that the tiger you killed to-day was the maneater who has committed all these depredations lately?"

"No," I replied, "Kistimah assures me that it is not; and I have no reason to doubt his assertion, as tigers are common enough in this part of the country. I shall, however, again try for him, for I hear we shall be detained here three or four days longer, as the Begum expects some one coming from Hydrabad. You are aware that I have sent the best of my gang to follow up his trail, so we have not heard the last of him; for if Googooloo and Naga are at fault and cannot find out his whereabouts, I do not believe that there is a man between this and Cape Comorin who can."

"I readily believe you," answered W "There is not such another shekar-gang in the country, and Googooloo is certain as a bloodhound if he once gets on trail; I have seen him track a bear over rocky ground when I could not observe the mark of a single pug-it must be innate instinct."

66 Yes," said Jock, "he is a wonderful fellow. But what astonishes me most is the extraordinary manner in which he watches his master's eye, as if he could there read what was required of him; and when he speaks I can only understand a word or two

now and then, although I have a tolerable knowledge of the different lingos."

"You must give us a history of the gang after dinner, Harry," said W. "for we have not time now, as the first bugle has sounded some time."

"Yees," put in the Doctor, who just joined us, "and ye had all better be quick, too, as my stomach has been crying cupboard this long time, an' this child will no be answerable for his actions 'gin ye come not soon after the viands are placed on the table. Ugh! ugh! ugh!"

So we all rose and returned to our tents, and after a refreshing bath again met at the table. We were in good appetite for our dinner after the day's fag, and "Five Minutes," whose ordinary colour was a bright black, assumed quite a greenish tinge, as he blushed at the praise his cuisine called forth.

The old Doctor was in great spirits, and became actually uproarious when Mac, alluding to his feat with the bear, proposed his health as a sportsman who that day had made his début, and he actually crowed and purred again when I advised him now to adopt a bear for his crest, with the motto, "Ursus Vinci."

Now, Harry," said W

when dinner was

over and cheroots and brandy panee (water) cir