They were taken into the largest hut, where the officer of the party was seated on a rough divan.
"Who have you here ?" he asked irritably, for he had been awakened from a doze by their entry.
"They are two young fellows, who are strangers here.

They say they are shikarees, who have come into the village to gain a reward for killing a tiger that has been troublesome." "They were here three days ago, Sahib," the villager said, "and asked us many questions about the tigers, and were, when the soldiers came to the door, questioning me as to the tiger's place of retreat, and whether a pitfall, or a kid as a decoy, would be most suitable." "Where do you come from ?" the officer asked Surajah.
"We live in a little village, some distance down the ghauts.

We heard that tigers were more abundant, in the jungle country up here, than they are below; and thought that we would, for a time, follow our calling here.

We can get good prices for the skins, down below; and with that, and what we get from the villages for freeing them from the tigers, we hope, in a few months, to take back a good store of money." "Your story is a doubtful one," the officer said, harshly.

"You may be what you say, and you may be spies." "If we had been spies," Surajah said, "we should not be here, but at Bangalore or Seringapatam.