13 Tiger Adventure by Willard Price Page B

looking for - what?
    After more than an hour of driving, the ‘what’ that appeared was a golden cat.
    Roger had been reading about the golden cat in his brother’s Dictionary of Wildlife. It was a very rare and extremely handsome animal. Hunters who had come before him had spent months looking for one without success.
    According to the book, the golden cat would become very affectionate with its owner, but was always savage in the forest and the villages. It was very powerful, with sharp claws and teeth. It preyed upon sheep, goats and even buffalo calves and birds.
    The one he saw before him looked like a solid chunk of gold. Its golden coat glowed in the sunlight. It had no stripes, no rosettes, it was just pure gold. And it was worth pure gold. There was one in the London Zoo that had been shown on a television programme, a beautiful and magnificent cat. Most zoos were not rich enough to buy one. And usually there was none for sale.
    Dad had not asked the boys to get a golden cat, because he knew it was almost impossible. And yet, here was one gazing curiously at the truck and Roger as if he were only waiting to be taken.
    Here was a job for the sleep-gun. Roger aimed very carefully and fired. The little dart pierced the skin so lightly that it was not even noticed. The sleep-gun makes no noise, and does no damage. It just makes the animal curl up and forget the world. The sleep lasts about half an hour.
    The fine four-foot-long bar of gold stood for a moment still gazing, then sank down and snoozed.
    Roger went to see whether the animal was sound asleep. He touched the cat with the toe of his shoe and there was no movement. He took out the dart and threw it away.
    How could he get this beauty into the truck? He would have to carry it, but it probably weighed more than he did. However his weight didn’t matter so much as his muscles, and they were strong. He was a little nervous as he looked at those sharp teeth and long claws.
    He was about to reach for the cat when a snarl came from the bushes and another golden cat rushed out and stood over the sleeping one. This must be the mate. He need not have had any fear that the second cat would charge him, since the cat was only interested in protecting the one asleep.
    Roger sent a dart into the cat’s flank. For a moment nothing changed. Then the second cat settled down over the first, both asleep.
    What good luck! Two goldens instead of one! Roger very carefully put his arms around the top cat, carried it to the truck, and put it in the cage. Then he did exactly the same with the other.
    He was ready to go home with his booty when a police car drove up and stopped beside the truck. A gruff voice demanded, ‘What’s going on here?’
    The policeman got out of his car and looked at the two animals in the cage. He saw the gun in Roger’s hand.
    ‘So, you’ve killed two golden cats.’
    ‘I didn’t kill them. I just put them to sleep.’
    ‘You’ve killed two of the finest cats in the world. Don’t you know that the Gir Forest is a sanctuary for wildlife? Anybody who shoots game here will go to prison.’
    This is not a gun for bullets,’ Roger said. ‘It just uses a little dart to put an animal to sleep.’
    ‘A likely story! ‘ He peered into the cage. ‘Where are the bullet holes?’
    ‘You won’t find any bullet holes. These cats will wake up before we get to the police station. I know that’s where you want to take me.’
    ‘You are making things worse by lying to me.’ said the angry officer.
    ‘Let me explain,’ Roger said. ‘My father is a collector of wild animals for zoos. He sends me and my brother out to get the animals. We have special permission to hunt in the Gir Forest.’
    ‘Do you have a hunting licence?’
    ‘Yes.’
    ‘Let me see it.’
    ‘My brother has it.’
    Then it’s his licence, not yours. I’ve had enough of your lies. Come along to the station.’
    As they went into the station Roger said, ‘Your sergeant knows us.