The Jungle Girl

ont of the shoulder and raked its body from end to end. Coughing blood the beast rolled over and over, biting its paws, clawing savagely at the earth, trying to rise and falling back in fury, while

. A few tremors shook the

urned eagerly t

it's Frank," cried Brian. "

race by the subaltern. Then, bidding the boy hold on to the sleeve of the arm carrying the gun, Wargrave started bac

Nasty, bad d

As he struggled up the steep side of the nullah he heard their mother calling the children with a note of inquietude in her voice; and he answered

ed bad dog," cried Eileen, waving her arms and

d the nasty dog that wante

all into the anxious arms outstretched

Dermot, pressing her children to her nervous

n told the s

her breast and kissing them frantically. The little woman who had many times faced death

air smiled genially at her from the shelter of their mother's arms and assured her that "Fwankie" would always take care of them. Their mother, even when she grew more composed, could not be severe after so nearly losing them; but al

em thank and kiss him, she bore them o

Burke joined Miss Benson and the subaltern when they went to look at its body, and numbers of sepoys streamed up from the Fort to view the animal, which had long been

f the parade ground Miss Benson was left with Burke and Warg

t to the disappearing form of her friend. "Nothing's too good for you for saving these prec

usly well-trained animal; but is he really so reliable th

me out in the jungle you may understand why the natives regard him as sacred and

ge yarns about him. But, as he's always pull

ctor g

Captain Burke," said the gir

iety, while Wargrave climbed up to the Mess and went to look at the panther's skin pegged out on the gr

te the Forest Officer in different parts of his district, each one lost and lonely in the silent jungle. For days after her departure Burke

t into the jungle on every possible occasion and continue his instruction in the ways of the forest. This companionship and the sport were particularly beneficial to Wargrave just then. For they

nga Duar's unusual burst of gaiety during the Envoy's

y think you a wonderful hero for saving the little brats who, if they are like most children, would not be much loss. Their mother seems extremely friendly to you for such a devoted wife as you try to make her out to be. Or perhaps it is the girl you admire most; this marve

n a great measure to blame for its being so. But it maddened him to realise his present helplessness to alter matters. He was more than willing to sacrifice himself to help her; but it would be a long time before he could hope to save enough to pay his debts and make a home for

ere was nothing for him to do with the detachment Major Hunt encouraged him to go with the Political Officer into t

e Colonel Dermot called to him from his gate and showed him a telegram. It r

rused it with delig

t in the Mess and be ready to start at once. Madpur Duar is thirty odd miles aw

escent than be carried down it by an elephant. At the foot of the hills they mounted and were borne away into the gathering shadows of the long road through the forest. As they proceeded their talk was all of tige

forwards and threw him against the wooden rails if he forgot to hold himself at arm's length from them. The discomfort spoiled his appreciation of the strange, attractive experience of being borne by night through the sleepless forest, where in the dark hours only the bird and the monkey repose; and even to them the creeping menace of the

ant," said Co

crashing of rending b

and then sleep on well into the small hours, wake and beg

that seemed to come from every dire

aimed, gripping his rifle and trying

s the reply. "It's an

he stars above them were blotted out for a mome

o his knees, dismounted and stripped him of howdah and pad. Sitting on the latter they supped on sandwiches and coffee from Thermos flasks, and then stretched themselves to sleep, while Badshah standing over them grazed on the grasses and branches within reach. Wargrave was dropping off

for his rifle. But his compa

's missed his spring and is angry about

epeated Wargrave. "But

r us. Don't worry"; and the Colo

nd he had his rifle under his hand when he did. But the dark bulk o

d plains and to look back on the great forest and, beyond it, to the mountains towering to the sky. Before them lay the flat expanse of the hedgeless, fertile fields dotted here and there with

hind it and a group of elephants and their mahouts. On the verandah Benson and his daughter were standing, the girl dr

, the tallest carrying a howdah, the rest only their pads, was drawn up before the bungalow; and at a word from thei

beat," said Miss Benson, as, wearing a big pith sunhat and carrying a dou

ounted she led the way across the plain. Although the ground was everywhere level and just there uncultivated the elephants tailed off in single file as is the habit of their kind, wild or domesticated, each stepping with precise care into the footprints of the o

l and worn by the streams that flow through the forest from the hills they pull down the cows grazing or coming to drink in the nullahs, which are filled with small trees and scrubs affording good cover. A tiger, when it ha

ing animals between the jungle and the spot where the tiger is known to be lying up, and the

of tree-tops showing abov

ther on, a cow was killed yesterday. I hope the

ead of them. Its upper branches were bending under the weight of numbers of foul-looking bald-headed vultures, squawking, huddled together, jostling each other on their perches and pecking angrily at their neighbours with irritable cries. Some circled in the air and occasionall

the carcase to pieces," she said, as she he

out to Dermot. "There is a way down and across the nullah, by whi

e beat in about ten minutes, then told her driver to go on. Half a mile beyond the tree she ordered him to halt and take up a position close to the edge of the nullah, into which they could loo

ont of the howdah and be re

d chivalrously against

tiger; so you must do as you're told. If he breaks out

rees in it prevented them from seeing if the beater-elephants had gone in; but in a few minutes they heard

d the girl. "Sometimes a tiger sta

he brought the butt to his shoulder, only to lower it when he realised that it was a false alarm. The sounds of the beat grew louder and closer, and s

ly from the scrub below them in the nullah a number of small birds flew up; and the next instant the edge of

t it bounded in a flash across the ravine and up the steep bank on their side not forty yards from them. As it

, standing right over the mahout who crouched in terror on the neck. The savage, snarling, yellow-and-black mask was thrust almost into Wargrave's face, and from the open red mouth lined with fierce white fangs he could feel the hot breath on his cheek as he tugged frantically at t

The whole thing was an affair of seconds. Shot through the brain the tiger dropped back to the ground with

rded Mahommedan mahout, as he straightened himself; and Wargr

from being lugged bodily out of the howdah or at least fro

ce beaming with excitem

got both of us." Then to the mahout she

n the shoulder of his coat, torn by the tiger's claw. It was the onl

shaitan (devil)

the girl and Wargrave went off i

?" Miss Benson repeated.

ut shook

ut it was my new co

tiger stretched motionl

him dead enough, Miss

down at t

ger look as dead as that and yet spring up and ma

le and covered the

ing at it," s

ges and flung them one by one at the tiger's head, striki

the girl, lowering her rif

it meant backsheesh to them. Badshah was seen to be searching for a way down into the nullah and in a few minutes brought his passengers up alongside Miss Benson and the su

hole in the belly. "A bit too low, but it made a nast

nd barrel, sir," said the subaltern. "But

he nullah," said the Colonel, smiling; "so what must it have

s Benson's. I ought to be ki

id the girl, laughing "You hit

arging tiger coming full speed at you is not an easy mark. No; t

ft from you; but I won't acknowledge th

see about getting back," said

adshah and his companion. When their mahouts heard from Gul Dad the

ssie-baba is a wonder. She will be the d

s a young, fully-grown male in splendid condition. Then came the troublesome business of "padding" it, that is, hoisting it on to the pad of one of the elephants to bring it back to the bungalow to be skinned. It was not an easy matter. For the tiger weighed nearly three hu

n Wargrave looked back to where the striped b

s not exciting. They ought to have been with us to-day. I am lucky to have got a bison

plied in a

jungles which formerly swarmed with them. There's no doubt that he has a wonderful, uncanny control over even wild elephants. Do you know that once a rajah tried to have h

cious, is

r over elephants; but some day when you're in the jungle with him yo

glass bangles they squatted on the ground and waited patiently until the skin was drawn clear off the raw red carcase. Then they crowded around a couple of the older mahouts who, first cutting off all the firm white fat of the well-fed cattle thief to be melted down for oil (esteemed to be a sovereign remedy for rheumatism), hacked the flesh into chunks which they threw into

younger man to the girl for her kindness in arranging the beat for him. Hours afterwards

job like mine, Wargrave. Would you c

he subaltern enthusiastically.

on leave, but I'd want to train my own man and not merely accept any youngster who was pitchforked into the Department just because he had a father or an un

etter, sir. I'm not

ith them. Well, I'll try you. The rainy season will be on us very soon, and then all outdoor work and sport will be impossible. One dare not go into the jungle-it's too full of malari

Colonel. I promise you

g the Monsoons for a bit; and she has asked me to teach her Bhutanese, too. She wants it, as s

was overjoyed at Colonel Dermot's offer, and as he dropped asleep it was with a thrill of pleasu