Kishan squeezed my arm. ‘Perhaps we tigers enjoy taking care of you.’
Soon we set off on a trail that angled up toward the top of the falls. It was a slow but steady climb, and my legs started to protest as we neared the apex. He let me rest for a while at the top. I took in the view of the jungle and made out our little camp below in the small clearing.
We continued to follow the river until we arrived at a large tree trunk that had fallen across. It was stripped bare of branches, and the rushing water had peeled off the bark, leaving the trunk smooth but dangerous to walk on. The water was rushing, and every once in a while it splashed over the top of the makeshift bridge.
Kishan leapt up on the trunk and padded across. The tree bobbed up and down under his weight, but it seemed stable enough. He landed softly on the other side and then turned to watch me cross. Somehow, I mustered the courage and put one foot directly in front of the other. It was like walking on Mr. Maurizio’s tightrope – with the added bonus of it being extra-slippery.
I yelled across nervously, ‘Kishan! Did you ever think that crossing this log just might be a little bit easier for a tiger with claws than for a girl with a heavy backpack wearing sneakers? If I fall in, I hope you’re ready for a swim!’
Finally safe on the other side, I breathed a deep sigh of relief. We continued walking, and after about three miles, Kishan finally caught Ren’s scent, which we followed slowly for another two hours. He let me get a good rest then while he took off to scout out Ren’s location.
He returned a half an hour later and reported, ‘There’s a large herd of black antelope in the clearing about a half mile away. Ren has been stalking them unsuccessfully for three days. Antelope are extremely fast. Usually a tiger would target a baby or an injured animal, but this group is only adults.
‘They’re edgy and jumpy because they know Ren is stalking them. The herd is sticking close together, which makes it hard for him to single one out. He’s also been hunting for several days, so he’s very tired. I’m going to lead you to a safe place downwind where you can stay and rest, while I help Ren with the hunt.’
I agreed and shouldered my pack again. He led me through the trees to climb another large hill. Kishan stopped to sniff the wind several times along the way. After we’d climbed several hundred feet, he found a place for me to camp before setting off to help Ren.
After a while I was utterly and absolutely bored. I couldn’t see much from where I was sitting.
I had already drunk an entire bottle of water and was starting to feel restless so I decided to walk around just a bit to get my bearings and explore the area. I carefully noted rock formations and used my compass to make sure I knew where I was.
Hiking farther up the hill, I spied a large rock jutting out over the tree line. The rock was flat on top and shaded by a large tree. I climbed up to it and was amazed with the view. I scrambled up higher, crossed my legs, and sat down. The river meandered lazily below, weaving back and forth at a sluggish pace a few hundred feet below me. I sat back against a tree trunk and enjoyed the breeze.
About twenty minutes later, a movement below caught my attention. A large animal emerged from the trees below. Several more creatures followed. At first, I thought they were deer, but then I realized they were probably some of the antelopes that Kishan had been talking about. I wondered if they were from the same herd that Ren and Kishan were following. The tops of their bodies were sable colored while the bottom half was white. They had white chins and white rings circling their big brown eyes.
The bucks sported two long, twisted horns that stuck straight out from the top of their heads like television antennas. The larger males’ horns were bigger and more tightly twisted than the smaller males’. The animals’ hides ranged from light tan to dark brown.
They drank from the river, flicking their white tails back and forth. The bigger males kept watch while the others drank. The females were about five feet tall and the males, if their horn height was included, stood a foot or two taller. The longer I looked at their impressive horns, the more ner--vous I felt for Ren.
No wonder he’s had a hard time catching one of them.
The herd seemed to relax, and some of the animals even started grazing. I scanned the trees for Ren, but I couldn’t see him anywhere. I watched the herd for a long time. The animals were beautiful.
The attack came quickly. The herd stampeded. Kishan was a black streak racing across the landscape. He singled out a large male, who ran quickly in a different direction from the herd, which I figured was either his fatal mistake or an act of great bravery to lead the predator away from the group.
Kishan chased the antelope toward a copse of trees, leapt up on its back, dug his front claws into the sides of the animal, and nipped at its backbone. Just then, Ren shot out from the trees, came up along-side the animal, and bit its front leg. Somehow, the antelope twisted out from under Kishan, who fell off. The black tiger started circling around, looking for another opportunity to leap.
The antelope pointed its long horns at Ren, who paced back and forth. The animal remained focused, always protecting itself with its horns. Its ears twitched back and forth, listening for Kishan, who had slunk around behind it.
Kishan leapt up and swiped his claws at the animal’s haunches. The power of the blow took the antelope down. Seeing an opportunity, Ren leapt in to bite at its neck. The antelope writhed and twisted, trying to get up, but the two tigers had the advantage.
Several times I thought the animal might escape. The antelope thrashed about and eventually managed to dart away a few paces. Panting, it watched the tigers slowly rise and approach. The antelope quivered with exhaustion and limped lamely as it waited for the next attack. The tigers slowly tackled it to the ground again.
I thought the whole process would be quick, but the hunt took much longer than I’d expected. It was as if Ren and Kishan were tiring the beast out, engaging it in a ma----cabre dance of death. The tigers were moving wearily too. It seemed they saved their energy for the chase, burning up all their strength on that. The kill itself was an almost sluggish process.
The antelope struggled valiantly. It kicked out several times and caught both tigers with its hooves. The tigers clamped on with their jaws until the animal finally stopped moving.
When it was over, Ren and Kishan rested, panting heavily from the exer-tion. Kishan started eating first. I tried to look away. I wanted to, but I couldn’t help myself. It was unspeakably fascinating.
Kishan braced his claws against the antelope and sunk his teeth deeply into its body. Using the force of his jaw, he ripped off a dripping chunk of steaming flesh. Ren followed suit. It was grisly, nauseating, and disturbing. It shot shivers down my spine, but I just couldn’t tear my eyes away.
After the meal was done, the brothers moved slowly, as if drugged or sleepy, which made me wonder if it was similar to the post-turkey feel-ing on Thanksgiving Day. They lay near their meal, occasionally going back to lick at the juiciest parts. A black cloud of giant flies descended. There must have been hundreds in that swarm, all buzzing around the fresh kill.
As the insects surrounded them, I imagined the flies landing on the dead animal and Kishan and Ren’s bloody faces. That’s when I lost it and couldn’t watch any longer.