Caesar & Hussein - Patrick O’Brian

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dense brushwood — awaiting their return.

      My plan was this — when they were half way past me, I would spring out roaring, and in the confusion disappear with a buffalo calf, if I could get one, or at the worst a large pig.

      I had not long to wait, and soon the foremost horned sheep passed me — but I let them go. Soon the men came, but they did not notice that the pigs and goats seemed a little frightened when they passed me. But the wind was blowing well in my direction, so they did not bolt or give notice that they sensed that I was around.

      Soon, however, the pigs and sheep had all passed, and then the great water-buffaloes came by — first the bulls with their great needle-pointed curved horns and wicked-looking red eyes. I did not venture to pull one of these giants down in the sight of the rest.

      For though the bulls might have stampeded, the cows would have killed me in an instant, for a buffalo cow with calf is easily the most dangerous beast in my fancy. So I changed my plan and waited for the stragglers.

      The main body soon passed, and the stragglers began to arrive. I selected a half-grown bull buffalo and charged — roaring. In an instant all was pandemonium, and the main herd stampeded towards the village, which was what I wanted.

      The calf seemed petrified with fear, and I sprang on to its shoulders, and in a moment my teeth had met in the back of his neck.

      He fell, but from behind some bushes a small cow buffalo — his mother — came charging. I stood my ground over the little buffalo, being furious at my mistake.

      When she was about six feet off I sprang, but not high enough, and she got in a blow with her horns which sent me three feet in the air. Luckily the points missed me, and I twisted in the air and fell on her back, and there I stayed. She dashed through the bushes trying to dislodge me, but I stuck on.

      Soon, however, the loss of blood which was streaming from her sides weakened her, and as she slowed up I broke her neck, and she fell with a crash.

      Slowly and stiffly I got up; my claws seemed on fire from the strain they had endured, and my back was scarred by the marks from branches.

      Looking around I saw that we had left the village far behind, and I was near the great pile of rocks where I had been tracked by the dogs before.

      I tried to drag my kill towards them, but I quickly realised that she was too heavy for me. I dragged her a little way, but after twenty yards I had to desist. Then taking her up again I succeeded in getting her to the rocks. The great weight was a reminder that I was not yet fully grown, for I remembered seeing my mother carrying a big buck sambhur with ease.

      Once in the rocks I made a good meal, for I knew there was no time to lose. Running back after about half an hour, I picked up the little buffalo.

      In the village fires were flaring and a terrific hubbub was going on. Taking it by the neck in my mouth and slinging the body over my shoulder, I set off at a rapid trot for home.

      This time I did not attempt to cover my tracks by plunging into the stream.

      Far behind me I heard the baying of the dogs, but soon I came to the rocky foot of the mountain, which I knew would leave no tracks.

      Gaining home, I slept almost at once.

      Next morning I wandered off towards the south until noon, when I slept as usual. Instead of a tree, however, I selected a broad slab of rock over a small stream — overhung by the branches of an aspen. Being tired I slept on and on, little suspecting the danger beneath me.

Caesar and his master confront a snake

       Six

      panda-leopardI awoke with a start fairly late in the afternoon, with a sense of danger near me. Seeing nothing, I began to stretch myself and wash.

      But I was interrupted by a low hiss, and turning I looked into the face of a large king cobra, which was coiled for a spring, not at me, however, but at something behind me, and towards the left.

      Turning sharply, I saw a little brown man crouched like a monkey in some long grass. Then the cobra struck, its head shooting over my tail like a whip-lash. It missed, for the man had dodged to one side and had hit it on the back of the head with a bent stick, and the snake lay motionless on the ground.

      All this only took about half a minute, however, but I had time to back out without being seen, for I had never seen any animal like this who could dodge the fastest thing in the jungle.

      From my place up a tree which I climbed, I saw him follow my tracks round the rock towards me. Then I lost sight of him, but feeling uneasy I left my tree and concealed myself in the rushes.

      Soon I saw him come out of the brushwood, bent double and staring around him. Then he saw a place where I had put my foot in a little patch of mud. He ran to it, and after inspecting it some time he rose with a little whistle of surprise, and disappeared again in the bushes.

      Soon after that I came out, feeling hungry. As I have said before, the rock on which I had been lying was over a small pool, and now as it was evening I hoped that some game might come down to drink. So, hiding near the banks, I waited.

      In about half an hour there came a sounder of pigs led by a vast boar. Having had some little experience of these boars I knew that it would be better not to touch him or his family, so I let them alone.

      Then the pigs began to drink. A few minutes passed, and with a roar a large tiger leapt out of the bushes opposite to me, and the pigs scattered.

      One little one ran straight to me, and I secured it without any noise. All the pigs fled except the boar, who stood facing the tiger who, after circling around for a moment, charged.

      The boar with great speed leaped to one side, at the same time getting in a blow with his long tusks which opened up the skin from the tiger’s shoulder to half way down the ribs. Then before he could recover the boar had swung round and gored him again.

      The tiger roared and began to circle round slowly and cautiously — and then he leapt. The boar was too slow, and lost part of his right shoulder. The tiger retreated and continued these tactics for some time, circling and dashing in and back again.

      After a while the boar was a sorry sight; all his head and shoulders were bleeding and the blood obscured his vision.

      The tiger suddenly leapt in again, but he over-reached himself, missing his mark as he struck, and the boar, with a grunt, lowered his head, and with lightning speed ripped up the tiger.

      As he fell, the boar with one great raking thrust completely disembowelled his adversary, who lay kicking on the ground. The boar drew off and soon the tiger’s struggles ceased and he lay dead.

      Then the boar crawled away into the bushes opposite me, and soon after I saw two jackals near the place. In a few moments five more had come, and from the sky the vultures and crows were coming.

      Soon I had finished my pig, and I walked out into the open.

      As soon as they saw me the cloud of crows and vultures rose and settled on all the trees around. I looked at the tiger’s body and saw beside the main wounds innumerable others all over him.

      Having inspected the tiger I went farther south on the trail of some deer. I followed this trail along through what seemed like a beaten track or path until I came to a kind of cross-roads, where another set of deer tracks converged on to the main one. Further along still, I found some more which led into it, and I could tell by the scent that I was coming near to the deer.

      Then quite suddenly the sun set and the afterglow set in, and after about five minutes the darkness began to close in.

      A month ago I would have been looking for a sleeping-place, but now, oddly enough, I took little notice,

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