THE KILL

Evening Star, Issue 20863, 5 August 1931, Page 9

THE KILL

FROM PASTORAL TO PANIC The shadows are lengthening in the forest, and as the first chill breeze from the north conies sweeping across tho clearing where the large herd of cattle have been grazing all day tho leader of the herd gives a loud bellow. The cattle, consisting of buffaloes, bullocks and cows with their young, are scattered all over tho clearing in small groups, most of them now sitting and chewing the cud, a few of tho younger animals still straying round in search of new juicy shoots. On hearing tho sound one by one the cattle rise, shake themselves, and stare inquiringly with their ears held forward toward the group of naked little boys who have brought them out to graze. These urchins are just finishing a game of tip-cat, and are quite unconcerned. At last it is over, and now shouldering their lathis they call to tho cattle, and .abusing tho wanderers loudly start rounding them up. They give the signal, and tho leader moves off along the forest path, all tho others following in single file. An hour later, with all tho graziers except one—detailed off to control the herd—riding astride on buffaloes, the cattle are slowly wending their way down a steep, narrow path leading to a nulla. This is the final watering place near the village, which is only 400yds distant, Tho blue smoko from tho wood fire hangs like a dense pall over tho collection of grass huts which form the village, while tho evening meal is being prepared by the womenfolk for the urchins and for their fathers, who are just returning from the forest with head-loads of firewood.

On both sides of tho narrow path leading down to tho nulla is dense undergrowth, and in this lurks Death . . . m the form of a tiger. As tho herd approaches he crouches down behind cover iu a favourable position, his yellow eyes fixed intently on the advancing cattle. Ho forms a wonderful picture for any artist as ho sits there watching tho herd file past one by one, quite unconscious of impending danger.

As the last of tho herd comes towards him ho tenses all his muscles and hunches his body, ready to spring at tho selected victim. The naked boy' at tho end of the herd curses a cow loudly as he, hits her with liis lathi; “Thou lazy pig, move on; dost thou want to spend the night in the forest?” Ho looks back and sees a solitary cow, a straggler—the last ol tho herd—coming slowly along. “Oh, ‘ famine-stricken one,’ ” ho cries, “may thou perish in the forest; hurry thy stops.” Ho is about to retrace his steps to drive her forward, when there is n Hash of yellow from the roadside above, tho cow gives a terrible roar of pain and fear, and the next moment sinks quietly to the ground, an inert mass—the tiger on top of her—with a broken neck. . , . The tiger’s patience has been rewarded.

Pandemonium reigns in the herd—the cattle stampede in all directions calling loudly—the little boys give terrific yells of terror and run towards the village shouting “ Bagh! Bagh!” Tho king of tho forest has taken his toll, and for one week the herd have nothing"to fear. After that. . . . Beware!—G.K., in tho Calcutta ‘ Statesman.’