t been
a panther or leopard skin, or even the less handsome hide of the
cheetah, its absolute value would have been greater. But there was an
artificial value attached to the skin of a tiger, and that well knew the
shikarree. He knew that there was a _bounty of ten rupees_ for every
tiger killed, and also that to obtain this bounty it was necessary to
show the skin. True it was the East India Company that paid the bounty,
and only for tigers killed in their territory. This one had not been
killed under the British flag, but what of that? A tiger-skin was a
tiger-skin; and Ossaroo expected some day not distant to walk the
streets of Calcutta; and, with this idea in his mind, he climbed up the
great banyan, and hid his tiger-skin among its topmost branches, to be
left there till his return from the mountains.

The next two days were spent in the same neighbourhood, and the
plant-hunter was very successful. The seeds of many rare plants, some
of them quite new to the botanical world, were here obtained, and like
the skin of the tiger deposited in a safe place, so that the collectors
might not be burdened with them on their journey to the mountains. It
was in this way that Karl had resolved upon making his collections,
leaving the seeds and nuts he should obtain at various places upon his
route; and, when returning, he trusted to be able to employ some coolies
to assist in getting them carried to Calcutta or some other sea-port.

On the fourth day the travellers again took the route, still facing due
northward in the direction of the mountains. They needed no guide to
point out their course, as the river which they had resolved upon
following upwards was guide enough; usually they kept along its banks,
but sometimes a thick marshy jungle forced them to abandon the
water-edge and keep away for some distance into the back country, where
the path was more safe and open.

About midday they arrived at the banks of a stream, that was a branch of
the main river. This stream lay transversely to their route, and, of
course, had to be crossed. There was neither bridge nor ford, nor
crossing of any kind to be seen, and the current was both wide and deep.
They followed it up for more than a mile; but it neither grew shallower
nor yet more narrow. They walked up and down for a couple of hours,
endeavouring to find a crossing, but to no purpose.

Both Caspar and Ossaroo were good swimmers, but Karl could not swim a
stroke;