CHAPTER XXIII

CAMP

GUY reached his quarters about six o'clock and found them empty. Chimp did not expect him till next day, and had gone out to tennis,-kirikit, as Guy's native servant called it. That invaluable person took charge of Guy's boxes and keys, and soon had everything in its place. Guy meanwhile walked over to the Aylmers to get his leave, which, indeed, was hardly necessary as two or three days of his three months still remained unspent.

Mrs. Aylmer was away in Mussooree, but the Colonel was in his room. He had returned from a ride, and was smoking a cigar before dinner, which his wife would never have allowed him to do. He received Guy cordially, and made no objection to the leave. He liked his boys to be sportsmen. Only take care, Langley,' he said; a cat as big as a bullock is a nasty thing to deal with. However, Treveryan knows the game. Will you have a cigarette?'

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'Thank you, sir, I think I will go back and see about my guns and clothes. I haven't unpacked yet.'

'Very well. We shall meet at mess.

Then, as Guy was going out, the Colonel put his hand on his shoulder. 'All settled satisfactorily, I hope?'

Guy hesitated. 'I hope so, sir. I think it will be all right.' 'I am glad to hear it. Well, good-bye for the present.'

Guy went out, and Colonel Aylmer sat down again. 'That doesn't sound very promising,' he thought; 'I wonder what will be the end of it.'

Guy found his clothes laid out ready for him, his mess-dress on the bed, and his shooting-kit and open gun-cases on the

matted floor. The bearer was an old regimental hand, and understood young men and their ways.

Guy took out his barrels and looked through them against the light. Chimp had not forgotten his promise to take care of them during the rains, and they were all as clean and bright as the day Guy bought them. The locks and breech had been carefully cleaned too, and everything worked quite smoothly. He put together his shot-gun and his heavy rifle, and then took them to pieces again and put them back in their cases. A minute's examination showed him that everything else was ready, down to the large cross-handled hunting-knife in its leather sheath, which was to be worn for the first time in case of accidents. had still a half-hour before he need dress for dinner, and it struck him that he would spend a few minutes in writing a line to Roland, who would be at home by this time. He sat down with a cigarette and wrote.

He

DEAR RO-I got back here all right an hour ago, and had the luck to meet the Treveryans at the railway station. They were just going away. Helen looked sweeter than ever, and if ever I could have thought of giving her up, the sight of her would have been enough to drive such an idea out of my head once and for all. She is a little white and thin, poor darling, but I am conceited enough to hope that I shall be able to bring the old colour back before long. She was very pleased to see me, I think, and to know I had not changed. She need not have been afraid. No man who had had the marvellous good luck to win her love could be so mad as to throw it away. I am afraid the mother does not like my refusing to fall in with her plans, but what could I do? It is a pleasure to feel that you at all events take my view. I must write to her next week and tell her once more that come what may I will never give Helen up. I am going off to-night to join Colonel Treveryan in killing a maneater not far from here. I hope we shall have some fun. Good-bye. Be a good boy.-Yours ever,

GUY.

This letter Guy read over and folded up, and as he did so, a puzzled smile came over his face. It was odd to think he was beginning to take Ro seriously, and to value his opinion. As he finished addressing the envelope, he heard Chimp drive up to the and he went out to meet him.

door;

'Hullo, Guy!

till to-morrow.'

This is jolly. I thought you weren't coming

Well, I wasn't, but I changed my mind. It was beastly hot

in Bombay, and I wanted to get back. Now I am going off again.'

'Where to?'

'Well, I met the Treveryans at the station. The Colonel has heard of a man-eater at some place near Ranipore, and is going down to shoot it, and I arranged to go on to-night and join him.' 'No! What luck some beggars have! I would have given my head to go, and they never thought of asking me.’

'Oh! you

'Well, they didn't exactly ask me,' Guy said with a laugh. asked yourself, of course—just like your confounded cheek. You might have got me into it too while you were about it.'

Guy had never thought of that, but he did not say so. 'I couldn't, Chimp. I don't suppose there is much spare room in the tents, or grub, or anything.'

'Well, it's always the way,' Chimp answered with a sigh. 'I have kept your rotten old guns clean for you.'

'Yes. Many thanks, old chap. I have just been looking at them. By the way, have you got any ball cartridges for my smoothbore? Colonel Treveryan says it's better than an express for close quarters.'

'I haven't got any ready, but we can load up a few after mess in ten minutes. I've got a lot of bullets; I cast them one wet day while you were away. When does your train go?'

'Not till 10:30.'

Oh, that's all right. By George, how I wish I were going with you.'

'I wish you were.'

There was a moment's pause, and then Chimp said, 'I suppose you've squared your people?'

'Well, I'll tell you all about that afterwards. I think it will be all right. We had better dress now, or we shall be late.'

They dressed and strolled over together, and Guy was received in the anteroom with a hearty welcome. Several of his brother officers were away on leave, but St. Orme and Berry and others were there; and all seemed really glad to see him. Even Denham was civil,-for him. It was very jolly, Guy thought; after all, the regiment was his real home now. And then the reflection came to him, 'What if you have to leave it?'

The night was hot, and when they sat down Guy said, 'Chimp, I am going to have some fizz.'

Chimp objected at once.

'Don't be an ass. It's the worst

thing you can do. Take a whiskey peg

You may have to shoot straight to-morrow. and keep your eye clear.'

'Bosh, Chimp. A glass or two won't hurt me.'

Chimp gave in. He liked his wine too; indeed, he liked a good 'whack' of it on occasion. Temperance with him was simply a sacrifice to his deity; he could not drink much and keep 'fit.' That night, however, they were very moderate, and immediately after dinner they went off together to get their cartridges ready. While Guy changed his clothes, Chimp cleared the sitting-room table of books and tablecloth, and put upon it a teacup full of powder, and some cartridge-cases, and the various things required for loading them. 'How many do you want?' he said, as Guy came in.

Guy suggested fifty.

Chimp scoffed aloud. 'Fifty! My dear old boy, you don't suppose you're going to put them up in whisps like snipe?'

'No; but I like having plenty of ammunition. One never knows what one may want on a shoot.'

'You can't want fifty, anyhow. Why, you'd fill him up with lead like the jumping-frog. Ten's plenty.'

Eventually they compromised for twenty-five, and by the time these were ready it was nearly ten o'clock, and the dog-cart came round. Chimp drove Guy down and saw him off, envying him deeply, and wishing him all good luck.

As the train steamed slowly out of the hot bright station into the darkness, Guy put his legs up on the seat, and sat looking out of the open window while the cool night air blew on his face. It was a very pleasant hour's journey. The sight of Helen had set all his blood going again, and he was more in love than ever; and to add to his happiness there was the strange new excitement of his first attempt at tiger-shooting. He had been a little tired that afternoon, after the long journey from Bombay, but his arrival had shaken him up and he felt quite fresh again now. How jolly it all was !

At half-past eleven the train ran into Ranipore, and stopped with many jolts, after the manner of Indian trains, and Guy got out. It was a very small station, with two or three rooms on one side of the line, and a covered waiting-shed on the other. The native station-master came up to him as he stood on the silent little platform and told him there were some coolies to carry his baggage to the camp, and that the Commissioner Sahib had sent a pony for him. He mounted and rode away down a soft un

metalled road, the barefooted coolies walking behind him with his boxes on their heads. The night was cool enough now, and not very dark; there were clouds, but the stars were shining in the blue openings between them, and all promised a fine day. About midnight they reached the camp, which consisted of a couple of square tents for the white men under some mango trees, with smaller tents behind for the servants.

There was a light in one of the tents, and there Guy found Colonel Treveryan and Goldney having an interview with a native shikari, whom Colonel Treveryan had sent out to bring the latest news. The man's report was satisfactory enough. There had been a bullock killed the night before; and the tiger had been tracked to a patch of jungle, where it lay up during the day. The footmarks were quite clear in the soft earth. In the evening, after dark, it had returned to the kill. The man had been watching in a tree in the line of its approach, and had seen it pass. After remaining some time over the kill, where he could hear it feeding, it had repassed him and gone away towards the same jungle to which it had been tracked in the morning. There was water there. Having waited some time, he had come down from his tree. Early in the morning, directly it was light, he would follow up the pugs and make sure where the beast was. Meanwhile, he said, he was not sure that this was the same animal. He had seen the marks of the one that killed the woman, and he thought they were smaller, but it might be the

same.

Colonel Treveryan asked a few questions and then dismissed the man. 'I don't quite understand it,' he said; 'some of the things they have been telling me don't look as if the beast were a man-eater. However, I suppose there is no doubt that the woman was killed, and the people are certainly in a great funk. Anyhow, we had better turn in now; it's getting late. We shall know more in the morning. We have got a bed for you, and put it in Goldney's tent,' he added, turning to Guy. Goldney got up and said good-night; as he walked out Guy said to Colonel Treveryan, 'Can I speak to you for a minute before I go?'

'Certainly. Sit down; I am in no hurry.'

Goldney walked out into the darkness with a tightening at his heart, and Guy took his chair.

'Well, Langley,' Colonel Treveryan said, 'what is your news?'

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