FIRST NIGHT
THE STORIES OF WHITE, YELLOW, AND BLACK LEOPARD
Through the listless leaves of the oaks and elms the moon was sprayingsilver over the hot earth when Sa'-zada, throwing down bars andunlocking gates, passed the words to his friends to gather at Leopard'scage.
As he slipped the chain from Hathi's foot, and it fell with a softclink on the hay bed, he said, "Ganesh, you of the one tusk, keep thouthe Jungle Dwellers in order, for if one may judge from the manners ofone's own kind, who are men, this weather is a breeder of eviltempers."
"Umph, umph!" grunted Hathi complacently. "I who have seen fifty suchtimes of discomfort think little of it. Surely the Sahib-kind, who arealso long dwellers, can remember that there comes another season ofcool. But, as you say, Master, perhaps it were well if I take into mytrunk a cooler of water for such as may fret themselves into a fever."
Even as Hathi spoke an angry roar shook the building they were in.
"Hear that, Patient One," cried Sa'-zada; "Pardus, the Black Panther,who is at best a mighty cross chap, is in an evil way."
The cry of Black Panther, which was like the falling of many cataracts,was causing the dead night air to tremble. "Hough-hough; a-hough!Huzo-or, Wah-hough!"
"There, make haste, Little One!" said the Keeper to Elephant. "Thesight of our friends who are gathering at his cage, has put Pardus in atemper, I fear."
In front of the Leopard's house all the outside animals of the Park hadassembled: Arna, the India Buffalo; Sher Abi, the Crocodile; Gidar, theJackal, and many others; even Magh, the Ourang-Outang, was there with aFox Terrier who lived in her cage.
"Friends," began Sa'-zada, "if we are all to live here together in thisPark, it were well that we know of each other's ways."
"That's a good idea," declared Sher Abi; "for in my time I have knownlittle of the habits of other animals. A dog, for instance, will comedown to the water to drink----"
"I know," interrupted Gidar; "and not having the wisdom of a JungleDweller like me, he will come to drink and stop to sup with one of yourkind. Is that not so, Sher Abi?"
"Perhaps, perhaps," sighed the Magar; "and at home the Pups, havinglost a parent, fall into the clutches of Gidar the Jackal."
"I like this meeting," broke in Magh; "a gathering of thieves, andcannibals, and murderers--Eaters of Dogs----"
"And Apes," came like a soft summer sigh from the bellows-mouth of theCrocodile.
"Friends," interrupted the Keeper, "do not fall to quarreling. Let usdecide who is to tell the first tale. As we are at Leopard's cage,perhaps he should have the first chance."
"I'm agreed," declared Magh; "murder stories are always interesting."
"I am sure everybody would be glad to hear of your killing, Magh,"sneered Pardus.
"Well," continued Sa'-zada, "here are three Leopards: Pard, the BlackLeopard; Rufous, the Yellow Leopard, and White Leopard. We'll havetheir stories for this evening."
"I'm no Leopard," objected Pardus, ceasing his restless walk for aminute. Then he took three turns up and down in front of the bars, hisbig velvet feet sounding "spufh, spufh," on the hard polished floor."No," he continued, stopping in front of Sa'-zada, sitting down, andletting his big round head sink between his shoulders, until he lookedup from under heavy brows with yellow-green eyes, "no, I'm a Panther.That is the way with the men of my land; to them we are all 'Chita,'or else 'Bagh,' which surely means a Tiger."
"I know," answered Sa'-zada, "you are neither Bagh the Tiger, nor Chitathe Leopard."
"I should say not," answered Pardus. "Chita is long of leg and slim ofgut--a chaser of Rabbits, and of the build of an Afghan Hound. With onecrunch of my jaws--Waugh! Why, I could break his neck."
"What's the difference, anyway," objected Magh, "whether you are aLeopard or Panther--you all belong to the family of Throat Cutters? Butwhat bothers me is that one is black, one is yellow, and one is white;now, in my family, we are all of one shade."
"A very dirty color, too," sneered Pardus. "Waugh-hough! no color atall--just _dirt_!"
"That is so that murderers like you cannot see me to eat me," answeredMagh. "If I am on the ground, am I not the color of the ground? Andwhen I am curled up on the limb of a tree am I not like a knot on thetree trunk? That is to keep me safe from you and Python."
"That may be so," answered Pardus, "but I, who hunt in the early night,find this black coat the very thing. Soft Paws! I have come so close toa Bullock, working up wind, of course, that one spring completed theKill."
"Umph, umph!" grunted Hathi, with eager interest. "All that appearsreasonable; but, tell me, Brothers, why is Yellow Leopard so bright inhis spots? And if your black coat serves you so well, how does theother, who is white, manage?"
"I speak only of myself," joined in Rufous, the Yellow Leopard. "True,I also hunt at night at times, but it's slow work; perhaps a long nightwatch by a water pool, and then only the kill of a Chinkara--amouthful, and in the time of scarce food, why, one must stalk when theGrass-feeders are within range of one's eye. Who is there amongst youall, even Soor (Wild Boar), with his sharp Pig eyes, that can say, whenI am crouched amongst the bushes with the sun making bright spots allover the jungle, 'There is Yellow Leopard, who is a slayer.' Not onlyis it good for the Kill, this coat of mine, but when the hunt is onfrom the other side, when I seek to keep clear of the Men-kind--by mycaution! more than once, when it has been that way, have I slippedquietly through the young jungle, and left the Beaters running upagainst each other, asking which way went Bagh. I am no night prowlerlike Pardus, for often have I killed in the open."
"I know nothing of all this matter," declared White Leopard; "but had Ibeen black like Pardus, or black-spotted like Rufous, I had died of alean stomach in the white mountains from which I come. Why, there, onthe hillside, every rock gleams white in the sunlight--not spotted,mind you, for there is no jungle such as Rufous speaks of; even thesand-hills are so white with the hot light that a mate of mine has beenalmost at my side before I knew it."
"White Leopard is from the _Safed Kho_ Mountains, the White Range, inAfghanistan," said Sa'-zada for the information of the others.
"I know," declared Unt the Camel; "I've been there--just the loveliesthot sandy hills and plains in the whole world. But, tell me, LittleBrother of the Blood-kind," he bubbled, "it is not always sunlightthere--at times the white storm comes--high up in the range--what doyou do then?"
"My coat gets whiter still," answered Leopard; "and if I close my eyesand stalk by scent alone, why, you would never see me till I was atyour throat."
"It's either a lie or most curious truth," grunted Magh, biting the FoxTerrier's ear till he squealed. "Here is a Pup that is white all thetime, and no lies about it, either."
"Oh, it's the truth," asserted Wapoos, the Hare; "in the winter time I,also, turn white to save my throat from Lynx or Marten; though it isnot of my own doing, to be sure."
"It's Wie-sak-ke-chack, who is God of all Animals, who arranges it thisway," said Mooswa, solemnly.
"Well," interrupted Sa'-zada, "one of you Leopards tell us of themanner of your coming here."
"As I have said," began White Leopard, "I was born in the SafedMountains, and it was a year of much hunger----"
"The very year I was born," declared Magh; "there hardly seemed morethan three nuts or berries in the world."
"Come up here, Chatterbox," grunted Hathi, winding his trunk aroundMagh's body, and lifting her to his massive head.
"Let me hold the Pup," whined Sher Abi, spreading his shark mouth in adisinterested yawn. Hathi blew a handful of small stones which he hadbeen picking up, into the opening, causing Sher Abi to sputter andchoke. When the laughter had subsided, White Leopard proceeded with hisstory.
"As I have said, it was a year of much hunger, because the Affridesmade war, and the Sahibs came, and it seemed as though everything thathad life in it was driven out of the country. They ate up the Goats andSheep, and the Bullocks and Camels they took to carry their loads. Itwas indeed a t
ime of distressed stomachs; and, to make matters worse,my Father, who was a killer of Bullocks and not a Goat eater, droppedthe matter of a thousand feet over a cliff and was killed. Then mymother came with me, and I was still a Cub, down to the land of theMarris, where there were many Sheep--the short-legged kind with thebroad fat tails; small they were, to be sure, and hardly of the bulk ofeven a Cub's desire. The very sweetness of their flesh made one wishthat they had grown larger. Hunger pains! but it was a long tramp on alean stomach, and in the end we fell among Men thieves--those of theWhite-kind, the Sahibs."
"Birds of a feather on one limb," sneered Magh, tickling Hathi on theear with her sharp finger.
"And in that land, though there were many Sheep, it was hard to make akill. Why, the Herd Men, Pathans they were called, which I think meansthe greatest of all thieves, were as wary as Jungle Dwellers. At thefirst try my Mother got a blow in the shoulder from one of their evil,long-necked Firesticks."
"Ha, ha!" laughed Sa'-zada; "that long gun was a _jezail_, and thePathans are good marksmen, too. I could tell a story myself of theirshooting; but go on, Chita, it's your say."
"As for making a kill at night, Waugh! we had near starved watching fora chance; these Hillmen huddled their Sheep and Goats into caves likechildren, and slept across the opening.
"And do you know, Friends, they lived so close with their Sheep, that Iswear by my mustache they were of the same smell. Fine as my scent is,one night I had crept close to what my nose told me was a Sheep, andwas just on the point of taking it by the neck when it got up on itshind legs and roared at me with the man cry.
"We were like to die of hunger when Jaruk the Hyena came sneaking andlaughing, and talked of a blood compact to Rani, who was my Mother. Wewere so hungry! but it was all to our undoing; for the grinning sneakwas a coward, and led us into an evil trap. He told us of three Sahibs,a short journey from where we had our hunt; and these Sahibs were likeCubs in their little knowledge of jungle ways, having Sheep and Goatswhich they tied to stakes close by the white caves in which they lived,and never a guard over them at night. Waugh! well I remember, hungry asI was, how the smell of Hyena fair turned my stomach, so that I hadlittle longing for eating of any kind; but Rani, being older and havingmore wisdom, knew that unless we soon found some method for making akill we should surely die.
"That night there was a small moon as we crept down over the valley andup to a flat-land where the Men-kind lived in little white caves--suchodd caves, too, in one place to-day and in another the next."
"He means tents," explained Sa'-zada; "being a Cave Dweller himself,his knowledge of houses is limited."
"It's a wonder he didn't call them trees," muttered Magh.
"Hyena stole along like a shadow of nothing, so smooth and soft werehis feet--a proper sneak, I must say I thought him even then, Cub as Iwas."
"Are you listening, Jaruk?" called Magh, maliciously; "this was aBrother of yours who was in partnership with Chita."
But Hyena only grinned a frothy laugh, and slunk over behind Sher Abi.
"Well," proceeded White Leopard, "we crept along, our bellies close toearth, till we came to a little ledge, where Rani and I waited, whileJaruk stole up to the white caves to see how the stalk was.
"'They sleep like the young of Owls in daytime,' he whispered when hereturned; 'even I, who am a creature of fear, and not like you, Rani, aslayer of Bullocks, have rubbed my lean jaws against two fat Goats thatare chewing the sweet cud of plenty.'"
"How your mouth must have watered, White Shirt," sneered Magh.
"Then Rani commenced the stalk, and I, even a Cub, though I had alwayslain hidden while she was making the kill before, followed close at herheels. Even now I remember just how Rani made the kill. First one paw,and then the other, she stretched out, and pulled herself along, withnever so much as the rattle of a single stone. The Goats were like theSahibs in the caves, safe in the conceit which comes of a full stomach.When Rani crouched lower than ever and braced her hind paws carefully,I knew that the charge was on. Waugh, waugh-houk! By the neck she hadone--for that is the way of our kind always--and with a jerk he wasthrown on her shoulder, and away up the hill she raced. I tried forthe other, but, being new to the kill, missed, getting only the rope inmy teeth. Even as I chased after Rani I could not help but laugh inspite of my miss, for Hyena was screaming as he ran, 'Did you get thefat one, the very fat one?'"
"The Greedy Pig," commented Magh.
"Ugh, ugh, ugh!" grunted Soor. "Why should he be likened to one of mykind? More like he had a paunch full of peanuts, or other filth, suchas you carry, Miss Bleary-eye; or if he were greedy, was he not likeunto his mate, Chita, who will eat half his own weight at a singlekill?"
"Such a row I never heard in all my life," continued White Leopard;"the Sahibs, and the black men who serve them, ran here and there withblinking red eyes in their hands----"
"The Man Fire," quietly commented Mooswa.
"And all at once, over to one side, there was a short growl from aFirestick; and a Sahib called loudly, 'I've got him! I've got him!'
"I wondered what it could be, for Rani and I were together with theGoat. I almost hoped it was Jaruk; but he was close at our heels,sniffing with his hungry nose, and fairly eating the sand where some ofthe Goat's blood had trickled into it. Then all the blinking red eyespassed swiftly to where the Sahib was, and we heard them laughing--onlylouder than Hyena laughs.
"Next day Jaruk discovered that the Sahib had killed the other Goatwith his Firestick in the dark, thinking it was Rani.
"Of course, one Goat did not keep the hunger off very long; but forthree days we did not make another kill. Not but that we tried. Eachnight we went close to the white caves, and Jaruk--I must say he had anose like a Vulture's eye--came back with a tale that the Sahibs werewatching with their Firesticks. But the next night we got another Goat.Cunning Animals! but Jaruk used to laugh, and even coaxed Rani to makea kill of one of the Men-kind.
"Then one night we crept as before, close for a kill, and Jaruk cameback to us laughing as though there wasn't a Sahib in all the Marricountry. Rani growled at him for a fool. Waugh-houk! did he mean tohave us all killed with his noise? And who was to do the killing, Jarukasked mockingly, for the white caves were empty, he said. The Sahibs,and even the black-faced kind, had all gone away, and left the Goatsand Sheep for the pleasure of our kill.
"'It's a Raji (war), I'm sure,' he said; 'and they have gone outamongst the Pathans to kill and be killed, and while they are at it we,who are possessed of a great hunger, will make a kill of the Goats andSheep.'
"At this we went more boldly than before; but it was only a trap. Theseof the Men-kind whom we had likened to young Owls, were up on the hillbehind a stone sangar; and just as we came to the Goats in the brightmoonlight there was such a crashing of Firesticks, and appearing ofwhat Mooswa calls the Man Fire, that I hope I may never see it again.Rani was killed, as also was--which was not so bad--Jaruk the Hyena. Ihad a paw broken, which to this day makes me go lame.
"Then the Men-kind rushed down, and the black-faced ones were forkilling me also; but one of the Sahibs, speaking, said: 'This is a Cub.We will send him to Sa'-zada.'"
White Leopard ceased speaking, and Sa'-zada, putting his hand inbetween the bars, patted his paw, and said: "Poor old Chita! it may notbe so nice here as in your own land, but we'll see that you do not gohungry, anyway. Now, Rufous, my big Yellow Leopard, you should alsohave an interesting account of yourself to give."
"Quite likely," exclaimed Magh; "we'll hear some more rare boasting,I'll warrant."
"A true tale is no boast," said Mooswa, solemnly. "I, who have hadstrange adventures, think it no harm to talk them over."
"Oh, you'll have a chance, Fat Nose!" retorted Magh; "but first let ushave a good, hearty lie from Leopard."
"There will be no lies," declared Sa'-zada, "for I have all thesematters in The Book--though they are not half so interestingly written,I must say, as you can tell them yourselves, if you are so mi
nded."
"Phrut!" muttered Hathi through his big trunk. "We'll have the lies asspice--that will be when Magh's turn comes."
Thus appealed to, Yellow Leopard commenced: "I came from a jungleland--Burma."
"My home," muttered Hathi, longingly.
"It may have been the year White Chita speaks of, for I remember I wasalso wondrous hungry----"
"You always are," sneered Magh.
"Because I have not a paunch that holds a thief's load, whether it befish, fruit or filth," retorted Rufous. "But, as I was saying when thisGoat-faced Ape interrupted me, I was hungry, and, walking through thethick jungle, discovered a Bullock--young, of great fatness. By a rarechance it seemed caught in a branch of the elephant creeper----"
"Elephant what?" muttered Hathi. "Not of our kind. We have naught to dowith the killing of any young."
Sa'-zada explained: "Yellow Leopard means the giant jungle vine called'elephant creeper,' which runs for perhaps the length of a mile, and isso strong that it pulls down great trees and smothers them in itsgrasp."
"Oh, jungle wood," cried Hathi, much relieved, "that's an elephant ofanother color."
"I shikarried the small Bullock most carefully," continued Rufous."Round and round I went, taking the wind from every quarter; there wasthe scent of nothing but the white jasmine, and the yellow-heartedchampac. When he saw me the Bullock-young became stupid with much fear;the two of us stood facing each other. He pulled back tight on thething that held him, watching me with eyes that seemed as big as theblack spots on my ears. I crept closer, and closer, and closer; forthat is always the way with my kind; whether the prey be small orgreat, we kill after the same manner always. Brothers, know you aughtof fear? We of the Blood-kind know it well. The Bullock's legs shiveredlike leaves that tremble in the wind; and he asked me with his big eyesto go away and not take him by the throat for his blood. How did heknow that, Brothers--how did he know that I was not coming like one ofhis own kind to help him in his trouble? And the fear that I speak ofwas in his eyes.
"With a roar, Waugh-hough! I charged full at him; my strong jawsfastened on his throat, and, with a quick turn upwards, I threw him onhis back, and his neck was broken. Ghu-r-r-r-h! Whur-r-r-h! his youngblood was sweet as it trickled into my jaws, for I was so hungry. Notthat I drank his blood--that is a lie of the Men-kind who know littleof our ways."
"They're all alike," chattered Magh; "they murder, and it is all rightbecause they are hungry."
"Yes," retorted Yellow Leopard, "if I alone made a kill perhaps thatwould be wrong; but we are all alike--it is our way of life. You are anevil-looking, flea-covered, pot-bellied Monkey, but your kind are allalike, so that is also your excuse."
Hathi shoved the tip of his trunk in his mouth, pretending to pick histeeth, but really to smother the laughter that fairly shook his hugesides.
"By a find of much eating!" ejaculated Gidar. "How I wish I had beenwith you, Killer of Cattle. A whole Bullock! Eating of the choicestkind for three days at least. Often for the length of that time have Isearched through a famine-stricken village in my native land, and inthe end achieved nothing, in the matter of food, but a pot of hot ricewater thrown on my back by a Boberchie (cook)--an opium-eating stealerof his Master's goods."
"Would that you had been in my place," sneered Yellow Leopard, "foreven as I was going away with my kill----"
"Squee-squee-squee!" interrupted Magh with a sneering laugh. "Even I,who am a Tree Dweller of little knowledge, knew that a tale from thisCut-throat would soon run into a lie of great strength. May I kiss theTiger if I believe that Chita carried away a young Bullock."
"THE THING THAT HAD ME BY THE PAW WAS OF A FIENDISHKIND."]
"You are wrong, Magh," reproved Sa'-zada; "in my hunting days have Iseen even Bhainsa, the tame Buffalo, who is like unto a small Elephant,carried a full half-mile by Bagh."
"Yes," asserted Yellow Leopard, "had the kill been an Ape like untoMagh, I had bolted it at one mouthful lest the sight of it made me ill.As I was saying, I took the young Bullock in my mouth, but at the firststep my forepaw was lifted by something of great strength. I wassurprised, for I had seen nothing--nothing but the kill. The thing thathad me by the paw was of a fiendish kind. Jungle-wisdom! but I was at aloss. Dropping my prey I tried first this way and then that to breakaway, but it gave with me every time, and when I was tired lifted me tomy hind legs, for the pull was always upward."
"Was it a Naht?" queried Hathi. "One of the Burmese jungle Spirits thatlive in the Leppan Tree?"
"You were snared," declared Sa'-zada; "I know, I've seen it. A stronggreen bamboo bent down, the snare fastened to it, and once over yourpaw--no wonder you were on your hind legs most of the time like adancing Dervish."
"Why did you not bite it off?" queried Wolf.
"Neither would you," answered Leopard; "though I tried. The evil-mindedMen seemed to know just what I would do, and had put a big loose bambooover the cord. It was always down against my paw, and simply whirledabout from my teeth."
"Why didn't you trumpet?" asked Elephant.
"I haven't a bugle nose like you, Brother; but I roared till the jungleshook in fear--even at the risk of bringing about me the Jungle Dogs,who hunt in packs, as you all know."
"Whee-ugh!" whined Boar; "Baola, the mad kind. Nothing can standagainst them. When they drive, the jungle is swept clean. Better to diein peace than make a noise and be torn to pieces by their ugly fangs."
"And who came?" queried Magh. "I suppose you were like the Bullock, andyour eyes grew big with the fear, and you begged them to go away andnot hurt you. It was all right when you were to make the killyourself--it was fine sport. Bah! I'm glad you were snared--I hate ataker of life."
"The Men-kind came," answered Leopard meekly, for the mention of hisfear made him abashed; "and seeing that I was caught, a Sahib would notlet the Black-Men kill me, but set them to make a strong Bamboo cage. Iwas put in that and sent here to Sa'-zada."
"I've been thinking," began Mooswa, plaintively.
"Well, now!" exclaimed Magh; "I thought you were asleep, Old Heavy-eye.If you think with your nose, your thoughts must have been of greatimportance."
Mooswa sniffed solemnly and continued: "You said you were hungry,Yellow Leopard. Was it not a land of much good feeding?"
"It was a bad year--a year of starvation," answered Chita. "Up to thattime the way of my life had been smooth, for I had found the manner ofan easy kill. To be sure, Soor is not the pick of all good food----"
"'Soor,' indeed!" grunted Wild Boar. "Ugh, ugh, ugh! by the length ofmy tusks you would have found me tough eating."
"You see," continued Chita, paying no attention to this interruption,"the wild Pigs were horrid thieves----"
"You were well mated," mumbled Magh, stuffing a handful of peanutshells in Hathi's ear.
"They used to go at night to the rice fields of the poor natives, andchew and chew, and grunt, and row amongst themselves, until theMen-kind were nearly ruined because of their greediness."
"But they did not eat the natives," objected Boar.
"Neither did I," protested Chita--"while the Pigs lasted," he mutteredto himself. "Knowing of all this, I made out a new kill-plan. At thefirst beginning of dark time I would go quietly down to the ricefields, hide myself in the straw that was near to the place where theMen-kind tramped the grain from its stalk with Buffalo, and wait forthe coming of the rice thieves. Soon one dark shadow would slip fromthe jungle, then another, and another, until they were many.
"'Chop, chop, chop!' I'd hear their wet mouths going in the rice; andall the time growling and whining amongst themselves because of thelabor it was, and for fear that one had better chance than another; notin peace, but with many rows, striking sideways at each other withtheir coarse, ugly heads."
"You're a beauty!" commented Wild Boar. "When you shove your ugly faceup to the bars the women-kind scream, and jump back--I've noticedthat."
"Presently," continued Chita, "one would come my way, seeing the greatpi
le of straw, and I'd have him. Jungle Dwellers! how he'd squeal; andhis mates would scurry away jinking and bounding like Kakur Deer.Cowardly swine they were. Now, Buffalo, when one of my kind chargedthem, would throw themselves together like men of the war-kind, andstand shoulder to shoulder."
"Yes; but, great Cat," objected Boar, "you took care to seize upon ayoung one, I warrant. Suppose you come out here and try a charge withme. Ugh, ugh! I'll soon slit up your lean sides with my sharp tusks."
"Be still!" commanded Sa'-zada; "here we are all friends, and this isbut a tale of what has been."
Chita had turned in a rage at Boar's taunt, and glared through thebars, his great fangs bared, and tail lashing his sides. When theKeeper spoke he snarled in disdain at the bristling Pig, and continuedthe story.
"Then came the hungry year. At the turning of the monsoons there shouldhave been rain, but no rain came. All through the cold weather thejungle had gone on drying up, and the grass turned brown, even to thecolor of my coat. The Tree-Crickets and Toads whistled shrill and loud,until the jungle was like a great nest of the sweet-feeders--the Bees.Then when it was time for rain there was only more dryness.
"The yellow-clothed Phoongyis (Priests) prayed; and the Men-kindbrought sweetmeats and sheet-gold to their God Buddha; but still therewas no rain. Miles and miles I traveled for a drink; and if I made akill at the pool it was nothing but skin and bones. The small Deer thatbark, what were they? Not a mouthful. And the Pigs shriveled up untilone might as well have eaten straw. The Nilgai and the Sambhur-deer, asbig as you, Mooswa, went away from that land of desolation, and soonnothing seemed to stir in all the jungle but the Koel Bird; and his cryof 'fee-e-ever!' forever ringing in my ears drove me full mad.
"Then it was that I stalked close to the place of the Men-kind--thoughI had never killed a Bullock before--and I made a kill. But after thatthey took the Bullocks under their houses at night, thinking I wouldnot venture so close.
"But hunger is the death of all fear, and even there I made a kill.Then again the Men-kind, in their selfishness, thought to outwit me,for about the small village they built a stockade."
"Were there no guns?" queried Hathi. "I, who have been in a big huntwith the Men-kind, have had them on my back with the fierce-strikingguns, and all that was in the jungle presently fell dead."
Chita laughed disagreeably.
"I almost forgot about that. One day, when they were still at thestockade making, I saw one of these Yellow-faced Men tying two stickstogether and sticking them in the ground, somewhat after the fashion ofMooswa's hind legs. Then surely it was a gun he put in the crotch ofthe sticks, pointing at the little runway I had made for myself.
"I went into the elephant-grass that grew thereabout, and watching himtook thought of this thing. 'It is to do me harm,' I said, 'for is notthat my road? Always now I will come a little to one side, because ofthis new thing.'
"And in the evening, as I came to the village, walking through the samecoarse grass, but to one side, mind you, there saw I two of these Mensitting behind this thing that was surely a gun.
"Only, because of thee, Sa'-zada, perhaps this part were better not inthe story."
"If it is a true tale it is a true tale," quoth Hathi, sententiously;"and, as the good Sa'-zada has said, of things that have happened."
"Oh, tell it all," commented the Keeper.
"Only say first you were hungry," sneered Magh; "hunger covers manysins."
"Yes; I was hungry," moaned Chita; "chee-wough! so hungry. The BullockI had killed was but a collection of bones tied up in a thick skin; Ibroke a good tooth trying to get a supper off him. And were not theMen-kind trying to do evil for me also, little nut-eater, Magh? Theywould take my skin to the Sahib and get much profit in bounty. I heardthem say that as I lay in the thick grass. I crept close, close----"
"Behind them," volunteered Wolf, "I know. You didn't look in theireyes, Brother, did you?"
"They were busy talking," declared Chita, "and did not look my way.Suddenly I sprang out just to frighten them, for they were close to thestockade, and one ran away."
"Only one?" demanded Mooswa, simply.
But Chita had gone over to the corner of his cage, and sitting down,was swinging his big head back and forth, back and forth, with his faceturned to the wall, like a Dog that has been whipped.
"He has caught Sa'-zada's eye," whispered Magh in Hathi's ear.
"It's a nasty tale," said the Keeper, "but I think it is true."
"Yes; it is true," declared Wild Boar; "that is the way of his kind."
"Then," said Sa'-zada, "they got this Sahib who has written in TheBook, and set the snare for Chita and caught him."
"At any rate, you were caught," muttered Hathi; "and from what you say,it seems to me a change for the better."
"Now, Pardus," cried the Keeper, gently tapping Panther's tail, whichhung through between the bars, "tell us of the manner of your taking."
"I was caught twice," replied Pardus, blinking his eyes lazily, andyawning until the great teeth shone white against his black coat; "butyou are right to call me Panther, for I am no Leopard. And it is so hothere and dry; quite like the place they took me to--they of the blackfaces--when I was first caught, being not more than a full-grown Cub,as was White Leopard. That was at Vizianagram, up in the hills; but thehills were not like White Leopard's, all hot and dry. The jungle wascool and fresh, and full of dark places to hide in, with deep pools ofsweet water that one might drink after a kill. Here the Birds donothing but scream and scold; Hornbill, and Cockatoo, and Eagle make myhead ache with their harsh voices; there, if a Bird had occasion tospeak, it was a song about the sweet land he lived in. It is wellenough for Hathi to say that being trapped and brought here is a pieceof great luck; for my part, all day long I do nothing but think, thinkof the Madras Hills. There were mango and tamarind, and peepul, andhuge banyan trees, with strong limbs stretching so far that one couldwalk out full over the Deer paths, and wait in sweet content for akill. Perhaps even a big family of bamboos growing up about one'sresting-place, and whispering when the wind blew, and closing up theirthick green leaves to make shade when the sun shone.
"Even where the Men-kind came and sought to grow raji were plantaintrees and palm trees--Urgh-h-ah! why should there be anything butjungle all over the world, it is so beautiful?"
"Don't cry about it, Little Bagheela," sneered Magh, "for surelythere's some sort of a story, some wondrous lie, in that head ofyours."
"True," continued Pardus, as though he had not caught Magh'sobservation, "there were disagreeable things even there. Of course, itwill always be that way when the Bandar-log, the Monkeys, are about.Silly-headed thieves, they were doing no manner of good to any one; butmore than once, when I've lain for hours waiting for the chance of asmall kill, and the time of the eating had drawn near, everything wouldbe upset by the mad laugh of Lungour, the Bandar-log.
"But I was caught, as Leopard has said, through the coming together ofa lean stomach and a trap of the Men-kind--neither a snare, nor theFire-stick, but a cage with a door that fell. True, inside was a Goat,but what mattered that once the door was down?
"Then they brought me down to the Raja's palace in the Plains.Stricken land! that was a place for any one to choose as ahome--nothing but red earth, with less growth than there is on the endof my nose. The Men-kind lived in great square caves that blared whitein the sun. Me-thinks White Leopard would have felt more at home therethan I did."
"What did those of our kind eat?" queried Hathi. "Also, where theMen-kind are is the Animal they call Horse, who is a Grass-eater--wasthere no grass?"
"Scarce any," answered Pardus; "the Black-faced ones ran here and therewith sharp claws, taking up the poor grass by the root, and all for theRaja's stables."
"What did they do with you, Bagheela?" asked Magh, anxious to hear thestory, for she was getting sleepy.
"Put me in a cage in the rose garden, where were others of mykind--only they were of the color of Yellow Leopard. Of course,
atfirst I thought it was because the Raja was not hungry, and would eatme another day; but in the next cage was a Leopard who had been there along time, and he told me why we were shut up that way. 'It's forshikar,' he said. 'Soon all the Sahibs will gather, and we will beturned loose, and they will kill us with spears and the firestick.'"
"That's right," commented Sa'-zada, nodding his head, "I've seen it;also is it written in The Book. The Raja was a great sportsman, andeach year at Christmas time they had a hunt of this kind."
"My Mate taught me a trick or two that helped pass the time," continuedBlack Panther. "'Bagheela,' he said to me, 'they will come to us hereon Horses; you who have the end cage may perchance keep your hand in,and forget not the manner of a quick clutch with your paw. First, purrand look sleepy,' he advised; 'second, never strike when the Horse isbeyond reach, for he is a creature of much fear; third, wait, wait,wait--have patience, Little Bagheela. Also, from in front nothing isdone; but stand you ready at the end of your cage, which is a wall,because there they cannot see you, and if the Man comes close, strikequick and sure, for of this manner there is never but one chance.'
"Now, it happened that a fat Sahib came often to the cage, and I couldsee that it was to teach the Horses not to be afraid of us. It was hardto mind what my Mate said, for the Sahib poked me in the ribs with astick, or tickled me in the face with his riding-whip; but YellowLeopard was always whispering through his whiskers, 'Wait, wait,wait--have patience, Little Bagheela.'"
"This is a long tale," whined Magh, sleepily.
"Keep still, Little One," objected Hathi, "no great stalk is ever donein a hurry."
"One day," continued Pardus, "I heard the Horse coming by the end of mycage.
"'Quick! Up!' called my Mate, Yellow Leopard.
"Like a spring on a Buck I was up on my hind legs against the end wall,just at the last iron bar, ready. Around the corner came the Sahibquite close. It was a new Horse, and he thought to take pleasure out offrightening the poor Animal by a sudden sight of us.
"Waugh-houk! With a strong reach I had the Sahib by the leg.
"Whoo-whoo, waugh-waugh, whoo-o-o-o-waugh! how he roared. Of course, Idid not get him altogether, for the Horse saved his life by jumpingsideways. I licked the blood that was on my claws, and Yellow Leopardand I both laughed till the Keeper came running with a sharp iron bar."
"I warrant you didn't laugh then," chimed in Magh.
"No; he beat me, though it was all Yellow Leopard's fault. The fatSahib swore that he would have the first spear in when I was let out atthe time of the hunt. He was for having me killed in the cage; but theRaja said, 'No; his turn will come in the Shikar'; and when the Rajaspoke there was an end of all argument.
"'Little Bagheela,' said Yellow Leopard to me, 'we will get away to thejungles together at the hunt time. If they let you out first--neverfear, Little One, you will have a start, for that is the Raja's way,we are to have a show for our lives, though I warrant one cannot getvery far in five minutes--do you run very fast, and when you have cometo the small mud-caves of the Black-kind, hide in the place where theBullocks are kept. They will not look for you there, and not findingyou they will come back, thinking you have gone to the jungles. When Iam let out, I, too, will go that way, and together nothing will standbetween us and the hills. Should I go first I will wait for you.'
"Then one day a cage that was on wheels was put against the door behindwhich I was kept, and with bars that were hot they drove me into it.Then I was taken out to the fields, and when the Sahibs--there weremany of them--had gone back on the road, the door was opened. Would youbelieve it, Friends, though I had been eating my heart out behind thebars yonder, now that I had the chance, I was almost afraid to ventureon the plain. Even as I crept forth, a yellow-leafed bush suddenly bentin the wind, and I sprang into the air as though it were the charge ofa Wild Boar----"
"Listen to that, Friends," grunted Soor; "of all Jungle Dwellers, hehas most fear of me."
"But remembering what Yellow Leopard had said, I ran swiftly toward thelittle village that was between me and the hills; but not straight inthe open, mind you--I had not lived by the kill in the jungle fornothing. First I leaped full over a long line of the fierce-pointedaloe bush----"
"Phrut! I know that plant," muttered Hathi; "it has points sharper thanthe goad of any Mahout. Sore toes! but I know it well."
"Even so," continued Pardus, "I ran swiftly along in the shadow ofthis, and soon found a Bullock cave such as Yellow Leopard spoke of. Inthe end the Men-kind could not find me, for I lay still, though once Iheard the voice of the fat Sahib quite close, swearing that he longedfor a sight of the 'black brute.' That was not my name, for I am Pardusthe Panther.
"After a little I heard more shouting; then there was a rustling noisewhich I knew was the gallop of Yellow Leopard. He was calling as heran, 'Ehow-Ehow-Hough, Bagheela!' just as we call to our Mates in thejungle.
"'A-Houk! here am I,' I cried, rushing out, thinking that we would soonbe safe in the cool jungle again. And away we dashed. By the loss of aKill! we had not gone far till almost in front of us we saw the fatSahib and three others on their Horses full in our path.
"'Oh-ho, my Black Beauty!' he cried, when he saw me; 'now we'll wipeout the score.'"
"That's like the Men-kind," growled Raj Bagh, the Tiger; "they cage usand kill us, and if we so much as raise a claw in defence of our liveswe are reviled, and they have a score against us to wipe out."
"AND AWAY WE DASHED."]
"Yes," asserted Pardus, "and long holding in their hate, too. If wefail in a kill, do we go long hungered, turning from everything elseuntil we have slain the one that has escaped us? But there was the fatSahib, who had not gone back with the others, but was still searchingto kill me, Black Panther. Surely that was not what they call shikar(sport), but a matter of hate he had laid up against me."
"You should have taken his beatings," declared Hathi, "even as I have,more times than there are tusks to your paws; phrut, phrut! it hasalways been that way with us Jungle Dwellers. When the Sahib beat us itis evil fortune if we do not let it rest at that. True, there was aMahout once that went too far--but what am I saying? surely I am halfasleep. It is your story, Bagheela--you were saying that the fat Sahibhad killed you--I mean----"
"Yes," said Pardus, "the fat Sahib--I stopped; so did Yellow Leopard,with an angry growl. Then behind I heard a little trumpet from Hathi."
"Not me," exclaimed the big Elephant; "I wasn't there."
"Most surely it is a wondrous lie," declared Magh; "and now he asksGanesh to say he was there and saw it."
"No, no!" interrupted Sa'-zada, "it was another Elephant."
"Even so," affirmed Pardus; "and on his back was the Raja, coming ingreat haste.
"'Charge!' roared Yellow Leopard to me, and with a rush that was fullof wickedness he went straight for the fat Sahib; and before I knew howit was done, had broken his neck with the hold that we all know sowell.
"The Raja, without waiting for Hathi to kneel, jumped from his back,and rushing like the charge of a Sambhur, drove his spear throughYellow Leopard as he still held the Sahib by the throat, and killedhim. Well I remember the spear was buried head deep in the ground.
"In fear, I raced back to the mud-caves in which were the Bullocks; andthey brought the cage again and put it to the door. But I was afraid toenter till they dropped fire on me from above. Then I was taken back tomy old quarters, and in the end sent here to Sa'-zada."
"It's a pity the Sahib was killed," said the Keeper; "it was a horribledeath."
"I was sorry for Yellow Leopard," declared Pardus, "for he tried to getme away with him to the jungles."
"Chee-chee! but I am sleepy," yawned Magh, sliding down Hathi's trunkwith the Pup under her arm. "These tales of killings are enough to makeone have bad dreams."
"Dreams!" exclaimed Sher Abi, opening his eyes, for he had been soundasleep; "to be sure, to be sure! I've had a very bad dream. One shouldnot eat so much; but after all, I suppose it is
the feathers that areindigestible. E-ugh-h! Sa'-zada, could you not pluck the chickensbefore you give them me to eat? There was a time when I coulddigest----"
"Oh, move along, Magar!" interrupted Sa'-zada; "it is bed-time now.You'll have a chance to talk some other night."
And presently the Animal town of the Greater City was quiet, save forthe bubble of Camel's long throat, and the gentle snore of Hathi'spendulous nose. The moon blinked curiously through the whisperingleaves, and over all there was the solemn hush that comes in the nightwhen the days are days of fierce heat.
Second Night
The Story of Hathi Ganesh, the White-Eared Elephant
The Sa'-Zada Tales Page 4
