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The brute couched, choked, and fell, and before Chinn knew well what had happened Bukta bade him stay still while he paced the distance between his feet and the ringing jaws. "Fifteen," said Bukta. "Short paces. No need for a second shot, Sahib. He bleeds cleanly where he lies, and we need not spoil the skin. I said there would be no need of these, but they came in case."
"I think so, sir; but if if they should accidentally put an make asses of 'emselves they might, you know I hope you'll represent that they were only frightened. There isn't an ounce of real vice in 'em, and I should never forgive myself if any one of of my name got them into trouble." The Colonel nodded, but said nothing. Chinn and Bukta departed at once.
Now for the first time in a long life Bukta disobeyed a lawful command and deserted his leader; for he did not come back, but pressed to the flat table-top of the hill, and called softly. Men stirred all about him little trembling men with bows and arrows who had watched the two since noon. "Where is he?" whispered one. "At his own place. He bids you come," said Bukta. "Now?" "Now."
At last, a noble animal was marked down a ten-foot cattle-killer with a huge roll of loose skin along the belly, glossy-hided, full-frilled about the neck, whiskered, frisky, and young. He had slain a man in pure sport, they said. "Let him be fed," quoth Bukta, and the villagers dutifully drove out a cow to amuse him, that he might lie up near by.
Thereat Bukta propounded a theory which to a white mind would have seemed raving insanity; but the whispering, level-headed little men of war considered it from every point of view, and thought that there might be a great deal in it. At mess under the oil-lamps the talk turned as usual to the unfailing subject of shikar big game-shooting of every kind and under all sorts of conditions.
"It is no dream. Do dreams leave the tracks of broad pugs on earth? Why make two faces before thy people? They know of the night-ridings, and they and they " "Are afraid, and would have them cease." Bukta nodded. "If thou hast no further need of him. He is thy horse." "The thing leaves a trail, then?" said Chinn. "We have seen it. It is like a village road under the tomb."
Bukta had continued to develop his peculiar theory among his intimates, and it was accepted as a matter of faith in the lines, since every word and gesture on young Chinn's part so confirmed it. The old man arranged early that his darling should wipe out the reproach of not having shot a tiger; but he was not content to take the first or any beast that happened to arrive.
They have worked hard, and perhaps " "Oh, if they skin clumsily, we will skin them. They are my people. In the lines I am one thing. Here I am another." This was very true. When Bukta doffed uniform and reverted to the fragmentary dress of his own people, he left his civilisation of drill in the next world.
He dropped into a deep wicker chair, over which was thrown his first tiger-skin, and his weight on the cushion flapped the clawed paws over his shoulders. He laid hold of them mechanically as he spoke, drawing the painted hide, cloak-fashion, about him. "Now will I tell the truth, Bukta," he said, leaning forward, the dried muzzle on his shoulder, to invent a specious lie.
"Tell them, Bukta, how great an honour it is that I myself mark them. Nay, I cannot mark every one the Hindoo must also do his work but I will touch all marks that he makes, so there will be an equal virtue in them. Thus do the Rajputs stick pigs. Ho, brother with one eye! Catch that girl and bring her to me. She need not run away yet, for she is not married, and I do not seek her in marriage.
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