O. Henry Memorial Award Prize Stories of 1921

he colour of the shadows-a rather pleasant brown-he was very little indeed, and besides, he was standing very, very still. If he was trembling at all, from anticipation and excitement, it was no

n probed down here and there between the tall bamboos, transformed the jungle-just now waking-into a mystery and a fairyland, glinted on a hard-packed elephant trail that wound away into the thickets, and always came back to shine on the coal-black Oriental eyes of the little boy beside the village gate.

hikara had been waiting almost an hour. Likely, if they had known about it, they would have commented on his badness, b

med into the thick bamboos. Too many things can happen to prevent them ever coming out again; too many brown silent ribbons crawl in the grass, or too many yellow, striped creatures, no less lithe, lurk in the thickets. But the strangest thing of all-and the surest sign of witchcraft-was that he had always come safely out again, yet with

tle Shikara said after one of these exc

olk replied to him. "Either thou liest to us, or thine eyes lied

was the black bear, and he wore t

s; but why he should call him a jungle-sergeant was quite beyond the wit of the village folk to say. Their imagination did not run in that direction. It never even occurred to

," his mother would say. "Perhaps

erance that her little son was merely a born huntsman. But in reality Little Shikara was not named for these men at all. Rathe

ing out of the shadows; and Little Shikara could see the trophy. The hunt had indeed been successful, and the boy's glowing eyes beheld-even in the shadow

the triumphant shouts of the village folk. Little Shikara glanced once at the lean, bronzed face, the limp, white, thin hands, and something like a shiver of ecstasy went clear to his ten toes. For like many o

ick Sahib had looked up now, and his slow eyes were sweeping the line of brown faces. But still he did not seem

tographic plate. And his seeming indifference was not a pose with him, either. He was just a great sportsman who was also an English gentleman, and he had learned certain lessons of imp

hikara. And the blood of the boy flowed to the sk

r passed on to his estate, and some of the villagers went back to their women and their thatch huts. But still Little Shikara stood motionless-and it wasn't until the thought sudde

m his elephant as usual, the beaters said, and with but one attendant had advanced up the bed of a dry creek. This was quite like Warwick Sahib, and Little Shikara felt himself tingling again. Other hunters, particularly

lder, the quiet eyes would glance along the barrel-and the tiger, whether charging or standing still-would speedily die. But to-day there had been a curious epilogue. Just as the beaters h

fle leaped, like a live thing, in his arms, but not one of the horrified beaters had seen his eyes lower to

face, and the blow had disturbed what little aim he had. It was almost a miracle that he had hit the great ca

n of the village, to give his opinion. He knew more about the wild animals than any mature

ice of the Protector of the Poor at

Shikara shivered. "Speak,

One is the killing of her mate-and ye know that these two tigers have been long and faithf

of bleeding," one of

t to be feared. One day, and he will go forth in pursuit of her again; and then ye will not see h

t night, too happy to keep silent, he told his mother of Warwick Sahib's smile. "And some time I-I, th

hty words, only the great sahibs that come from afar, and Warwick Sa

ought this afternoon." Little Shikara was very sleepy, and he was telling his dreams much more frankly than was his wont. "A

thou procure thine elephants,

one attendant-and I will not need even one. And who can say-perhaps he will find me even a

tightest places. So it was only to be expected that Little Shikara's mother should laugh at him. The idea of her son being an attendant

I want thee smelling of the jungle again, as thou didst after chasing the water-buck throu

into the jungle. Far away, the trumpet-call of a wild tusker trembled through the moist, hot night; and great bell-shaped flowers made the air pungent and heavy with perfume. A

clothes, and crystal and silver glittered on his board. But his gray eyes were half closed; and the gleam from his plate c