And the sentinel on our right is doing just the same. Yes, the herd is quite safe; the two sentinels are sure to see if any danger comes from their side or from the back.
"But will not the sentinels have less to eat, if they are watching half the time?" you may ask.
Yes, that is quite true. So all the Papa buffaloes take turns being sentinels. After a while the two sentinels from the ends move up toward the middle, and the next ones then begin to keep watch. And they keep changing places like that from day to day. That makes it quite fair for everybody.
When they go to sleep also they are arranged in the form of a crescent; but the two ends are closed up, so that the Papas make a ring, while the Mammas and the children sleep inside the ring.
When the Papas lie down, they are closer together than when they are feeding; and they still keep their heads pointed to the outside of the ring, so that they can get up in a minute, and be quite ready to drive off any tiger. Of course they have sentinels keeping watch all the time.
But now let us see other wonderful things that the buffaloes do, while they are feeding.
We must be very careful how we follow the herd. The ground is now changing, and getting quite rough; so the gra.s.s is getting scarce here and there. The buffaloes have not enough gra.s.s all the way; so they have to walk on a few yards without eating, till they come to the next patch.
Some of the buffaloes are even having a bite at fresh young shrubs in pa.s.sing, as they will eat anything green, when they have not enough gra.s.s.
But see! The buffaloes are spreading out, as there are not even enough shrubs in one place. You can see gaps in the line of buffaloes now.
And the gaps are getting bigger and bigger! Let us watch a few minutes.
Now the gaps are very wide, as some of the buffaloes are lagging behind; and some are turning too much to the side in trying to reach a mouthful from a shrub or a bush here and there.
Why, what is happening now? Some of the buffaloes cannot even see one another now, because of the bushes between them! What are the sentinels doing? And what is the leader doing? Suppose a tiger suddenly comes--
But do you _hear_ that?
"Moo! Moo!"
That is the leader. He has just found out that the herd is spread out too far; so he is calling. He is saying, "Where are you?"
"Moo! Moo!" Do you hear that answer? It comes from the sentinel on the right, who is very far away now; but still he has heard the call. His answer means, "Here I am!"
And "Here I am!" comes the answer also from the sentinel on the left.
"Then close up!" cries the leader.
Each sentinel moves up toward the place from which he heard the leader"s voice come. And on his way there he tells all the buffaloes he meets to move up also. Besides, all the buffaloes hear the leader"s voice too; so they begin to close up at once.
Is not that a wonderful way of bringing up all those that are lagging behind?
But let us watch the herd again. They have closed up now, and there is no big gap in their line. The ground is level again.
Let us move on from thicket to thicket, and come as near the buffaloes as we can.
What is that? See! The sentinel on the right is looking hard at that jungle gra.s.s far away to the side. This kind of jungle gra.s.s grows very tall, taller than a man. But why is the sentinel staring at the tall gra.s.s? What does he see there?
Yes, there, far away, something is happening! The jungle gra.s.s is waving gently, but just in one place! What is making the tall gra.s.s wave like that? Is it the wind? No, it cannot be the wind! Why not?
Because if it were the wind, _all_ the gra.s.s there would wave. Then what is making the tall gra.s.s wave in just one place?
It can be only one thing! Some _animal_ is hiding there in the tall gra.s.s! And as the animal is coming nearer and nearer to the buffaloes, he is making the gra.s.s wave!
See, the sentinel has guessed that also! What is he doing now? Can you _hear_ him? He gives a bellow, deep and long.
"Danger! Look out!" That is what he means.
The whole herd hears him. They all close up as near together as they can!
Quick! Let us get up on that tree near by! _We_ are in danger as well as the buffaloes!
One branch higher--and another! Now we are quite safe! But see what the buffaloes are doing!
_Buffaloes Make a Ring when Tiger Comes_
The two ends of the crescent have come close together, and all the Papa buffaloes have made a perfect ring around the Mammas and the children. The Papas are facing the outside of the ring; so they can meet the danger from whatever side it comes.
Why do they do that? Look again at the gra.s.s! The tall gra.s.s is waving nearer and nearer. So, the animal that is in the gra.s.s is coming nearer and nearer.
He comes right to the end of the tall gra.s.s. There he makes a gap in the gra.s.s, and walks out into the open. It is a tiger!
He was trying to sneak up to the buffaloes; but the sentinel found that out. And now the bull buffaloes are ready for him. The tiger growls in rage. He prowls round and round the ring of bull buffaloes, as you see in the picture. But he dare not try to break through those horns.
He roars with fury, shaking the ground; it is just like thunder. The jungle around is taking fright at the roar. See! All the small animals rush out in fright--wild pigs, wild goats, and all sorts of small deer.
[Ill.u.s.tration: The Tiger and the Ring of Buffaloes]
In their fright they run hither and thither very stupidly. That is exactly why the tiger roars--he wants to make the small animals behave so stupidly, in their fright, that some of them may make a mistake and run straight into his jaws.
See! The small animals scatter to right and left, trying to reach a bush or thicket. But some are cut off from safety, as the tiger stands in their way. What can they do?
_Small Animals Find Safety in Buffalo Ring_
Yes, there is the ring of buffaloes! So those small animals rush straight toward the ring and creep inside--and the buffaloes raise their heads to make a way for them under the horns. Some of them, like the wild goats, jump _over_ the buffaloes" horns to get inside the ring. Anyway, the small animals reach safety inside with the Mammas and the children of the buffaloes.
The tiger stands outside the ring, and still roars in fury. But now n.o.body is afraid. The bull buffaloes paw the ground impatiently with their hoofs, and rattle their horns. They are going to charge!
But that tiger does not wait for the charge. He does not want to be trampled into a mess. So he slouches away, growling and snarling.
So, as you see, the bull buffaloes guard the Mammas and the children from danger, and they also guard all small and weak animals that come to them for safety.
Did I not tell you that the buffaloes are the Knights of the Jungle?
[Ill.u.s.tration: Tame Water Buffaloes Plowing in the Rice Fields]
CHAPTER VII