The Young Rajah | Page 8

ranges of brick-work, raised a few inches above the deck, with small
round holes, shaped like a lime-kiln, for holding charcoal, on which
provisions were dressed. Above the cabin, and supported on upright
bamboos, was a grating, on which the crew sat or stood to work the
vessel. A long bamboo, with a circular board at the end fixed astern,
served as a rudder; the oars also being long bamboos of the same
description. The mast was a stout bamboo, carrying a squaresail and
topsail of a coarse and flimsy canvas.
In this clumsy-looking craft the travellers made themselves comfortable,
however. They had also a small canoe towing astern, in which, when
the wind was contrary, and the budgerow had to bring up alongside the
bank, they made excursions to the other side of the river or up one of its
affluents.
Burnett, who was really a keen sportsman, never failed to take his gun,
and generally came back with a good supply of game. One day,
however, he was unwell, and Reginald started by himself to visit some
interesting ruins a short distance ahead, the canoe being paddled by two
of the crew. They had got some distance when he found that he had

brought neither his rifle nor pistols: however, he did not think it worth
while to return for them. They were at some little distance from the
bank, when one of the crew cried out--
"See, sahib, see! Here comes a tiger!"
On looking in the direction in which the man pointed, he caught sight,
not of a tiger, but of a huge panther, and a native about a hundred yards
before him rushing at headlong speed, bounding and springing towards
the river, while the panther with rapid leaps pursued its hoped-for prey.
Reginald ordered the men to paddle in towards the shore, in the hope of
rescuing the panting wretch from the jaws of the panther. Just before
they reached the bank, the native bounded into the water, which rose up
to his neck; but he was apparently too exhausted to swim towards the
canoe, though with imploring accents he entreated the sahib to come to
his rescue.
At that instant the dark snout of an enormous crocodile rose above the
surface--the saurian, to Reginald's horror, making its way towards the
struggling native.
"Crocodile! Crocodile!" shouted Reginald to the native; who, hearing
him, after a moment's hesitation rushed back towards the bank, thus
again facing the panther. The creature for a moment appeared
disconcerted at the sudden movement of its expected victim and the
approach of the canoe, towards which the man made a desperate spring;
but the savage panther, eager for its prey, at the same moment leaped
forward and seized the unhappy man by the leg, while Reginald
grasped his arm. At that instant the crocodile, which had retreated a
short distance, dashed up, and catching the miserable being--who gave
vent to the most fearful shrieks--by the other leg, with one snap of its
jaws bit it off.
In vain Reginald shouted to the crew to attack the creatures with their
oars. The cowardly wretches, instead of moving, shrank down at the
further end of the canoe; while the panther, peeling off the flesh of the
leg, reached at length the ankle, where with a horrid crunch it severed
the bone, and galloped away with the fearful mouthful.

Reginald drew the poor man--now quite senseless--into the canoe, and
endeavoured to stanch the blood flowing from his wounds by
tourniquets, formed of pieces of wood, round the upper parts of his legs;
but his efforts were in vain, and before the canoe reached the budgerow
the man was dead.
Continuing their course up the Ganges, visiting on their way several of
the numerous towns, temples, and ruins of various sorts which adorn its
banks, they at length landed, and continued their route by land. They
were now in a woody district, bordering the banks of a river, when
Captain Burnett's "shikaree wallah," or huntsman, informed them that it
abounded in tigers, and that if they wished to kill a few they would
have an opportunity of doing so. Although Reginald would gladly have
pushed on, he sacrificed his own wishes for the sake of allowing his
friend to enjoy a few days' sport.
Burnett had a friend (Major Sandford) living at a village not far off,
who, hearing of their arrival, invited them to take up their abode at his
bungalow. He confirmed the report of the abundance of tigers, which
the superstitious Hindoos took no pains to destroy; observing--
"They believe that the souls of men pass after their death into the
bodies of animals, and that it must be the soul of some great personage
alone which is allowed to inhabit the ferocious tiger.