, 1889-09-05

that he could not get away at once, and
evidently hit somewhere about his
lungs. Every two minutes for half IN
hour this sobblng sigh was audible.
Then II ceased, but no matter. Ii he
was hurt as badly as that we should get
him for certain, So lighted my pipe
and tried to wait patiently for daylight.
1t was so long In coming that j began 10
think the sun had oversight itself, but
at last, at o'clock, we climbed down
and stretched our cramped limbs; the
Coolie arrived at almost the same min
ute with the pony, the two natives re.
turned with their pole, and we started
out to reGonoitrc, First, as TO the pig.
Instead of being half.eaten, as we sup
posed, he was all right except for five
long scratches down one side, where the
tiger had evidently put out his paw and
felt of him with n natural curiosity as
To what he was doing there. Just be-
hind him were two deep footprints:
That was all. No blood, no tracks, and
we looked cautiously around without
seeing a sign. Fifty yards away there
was stretch of grass three feet high,
where he was very likely to DO hidden.
A TERRIBLE MOMENT.
Where could the tiger be, anyway !?
Mitt and walked over to the edge of
grass and looked carefully all along IL
for tracks. That moment came very near
being the last for one of us. While we
were pecring about the tiger suddenly
sat up in the grass not ten feet from us,
and, with II tremendous roar, sprang
clean ont into the open. He was so near
that 1t wus out of the question to shoot.
lfl had flung my rifle forward it would
have fallen on him. | could see his
white teeth distinctly and the red gap OF
! his throat. | remember even ut that
moment wondering how he could pos
sibly open his mouth so wide. Mitt aud
| ! were perhaps ten yards apart, and the
| tiger leaped out midway between us.
| lnstinctively the Annaniite made IL wild
rush away on his side and | OH mine.
The tiger had evidently walked just ial
enough into the grass to be hidden and
had then lain down. His presence there
we were helpless. | may as well confess
that my state of mind ut that moment
was one of dreadful funk. If the tigel
had been slightly less wounded than h,
was, 1t Is perfectly certain that in an
other instant he would hay,
killed one or the other of lis
We had not the remotes
chuncc of escaping him by runninf
away. but his first spring was ovi
turned Immediately and sneakcd bach
into the cover. 1T fired into the mov
ing grass after him, in spite of my
shouted protests, tearing piece of ski
oil his Hank, as we atterward discovered
We took five minutes to recover from
our scare, and then, as the beast wa
practically helpless, we followed hin
through the grass. After hundred
yards, his growls brought us up shor
again. | sent Mitt up II tree and he re
ported the sight of his head. SO beck
oned him down, climbed up myself
pulled up the rifle after me, and thcr
| could distinctly see the tiger abou
seventy yards away, sitting on hi
huunches with his back toward me.
aimed at his spine behind his shoulder:
and when the bullet struck he simpl
got up and turned half round, giving in
q splendid chance. My second bullc
struck him in exactly the right place
and he made u grab with his mout
where it entered, then spun roun
, three or four times like terrier chasin
his tail and fell in heap. At this mC
ment the three other men, who had gon
home after all, arrived on their ponie
, so we walked carefully up TO him in lin
There he lay, or rather she, for it was
/ fine tigrcss, little under eight fe'
, long, and very beautifully marked.