free to build his own pictures. Meanwhile Cadman as a
companion was showing up flawlessly day by day.

At the end of a long march, after many days out, they smelled the night
cooking-fires from a village. A moment later they passed tiger tracks,
and the print of native feet.

The twilight was thick between them as they hastened on. Cadman Sahib
stepped back suddenly, lifting his hand to grasp the other, but not
quite soon enough. That instant Skag was flicked out of sight, taken
into the folds of mother-earth and covered--the bleat of a kid
presently identifying the whole mystery.

Skag fell about twelve feet into the black earth coolness. He was
unhurt, and knew roughly what had happened before he landed. His rush
of thoughts: shame for his own carelessness, gladness that Cadman Sahib
was safe above, the meaning of the kid's cry and the tracks they had
seen; this rush was broken by another deluge of earth that all but
drowned the laugh of Cadman. Skag had jerked back against the wall of
earth to avoid being struck by the body of his companion who coughed
and laughed again faintly, for his wind was very low.

"You couldn't ask more of a friend than that, son. I couldn't get you
up to me, so I came down with you--"

Of course, it was an accident. Cadman presently explained that he had
set down his dunnage and crept close on his knees to look into the pit
when the dry earth caved. Doubtless it was intended to do so, since
this was a native tiger-trap baited with live meat. But Cadman had not
considered fully in time. . . . Dust of the dry brown earth settled
upon them now; the grey twilight darkened swiftly. The chamber was
about nine by fifteen feet, hollowed wider at the bottom than the top,
and covered with a thin frame of bamboo poles, upon which was spread a
layer of leaves and sod. The kid had been tethered to escape the
stroke if possible.

"It's all night for us," Cadman remarked. "They won't look at the trap
until morning. My packs are above--rifle and blanket--"

"I have the camera," Skag chuckled.

Cadman's thin hand came out gropingly.

"The cigarettes are in the tea-pot," he said in a voice dulled with
pain.

"I have the pistol," Skag added dreamily. Something of the situation
had touched him with joy. If he spoke at such times, it was very dryly.

"Doubtless you have our bathing-suits," Cadman suggested.

"And my cigarette-case has--" Skag felt in the dark, "has
one--two--t