Los Angeles herald., 1906-12-16

essarily. pass in view of one of them, and
thus afford him an excellent opportunity Of
firing with effect. There was no time for
extemporizing stockade.
The beaters are arranged in a long line
across the river bed. At a given signal,
amid yelling and bush beating, toming
and general uproar, the advance commences.
jeffrey, and Sackvile at their posts, wait
ing to intervening, boulders, cannot see each
other. Then Sackvile, vigilant and watch
full, thought he heard muffed sound among
the bushes. Peering more .attentivey, he
saw in faint outline behind the green what
gol tI " " " i'O'iHS -DA'' u O'"'A anu
1t was the tiger, creeping cautiously and
stealthily forward. 1t was useless to fire. A
course of the bullet, and a mere flash would
but rouse the monster to tenfold ferocity.
He thought by shifting his position a dozen
PAGES to his right he would get clearer
shot.
Swiftly, yet carefully, he commenced to
pick his way, and had almost attained his
object, when, for an instant, his glance wan
dered from the path he was pursuing to the
tiger. Unhappily, just then, his foot caught
in a half-buried root; and he stumbled for
ward. A frantic effort to recover himself but
made his fall the more headlong, for he rolled
down to the bottom of the watercourse. In
moment, like flash of lightning, the tiger
sprang on him.
Poor Sackvile! He instinctively held I'D
his arms as guard for his head, but blow
from the brute's mighty paw at once LAID ths
limb low, and its claws tore his shoulder.
Then, with cleaning fangs and bloodthirstty
eyes, the terrible beast bent over his neck,
and Sackvile could feel his hot breath, like
some foul malaria, sweep across his face.
>, lie thought his last moment at hand, when
the sharp crack of a rifle rang in the air,
and the tiger, a second ago the personifca.
ton of strength and cruelty, rolled over,
writing, few feet from him, in the agonies
of death.
OF course, that shot, SO unerring and oppor-
tune, came from Jeffrey's rifle. Hearing
Sackvile stumble and fall, the latter's mind
misgave him. He quickly stepped down into
the ravine, and made for the spot whence the
noise proceeded.
was petrifed by the scene already described,
that met his view. But jeffrey was man
of cool courage, and immediate action was
necessary. The tiger, too, afforded capital
marx, standing, as he did, brosdside on, and
rifle against the rock, he fired, and sent his
bullet clean through the brute's heart; then,
quickly ,reloading the empty barrel, he re.
NAMED Tor few minute ON the qui vive, watt
ing to see if it all were over.
Presently the death struggles ceased, and
jeffrey, his countenance expressing the ut
most solicitude and concern, rushed forward
to his wounded friend, and began inquiring
whether he was much hurt, and how the un.
fortunate accident had occurred.
Meanwhile, the heaters, in twos and threes,
vile wounded and Jeffrey Ineeling by '" his
side, were at first somewhat taken aback,
but when. their gaze fell ON the tiger. thu,
scourge of the village, lying stiff and stark,
and shorn of all his terrible strength their
delight and enthusiasm could not be- re-
strained
Exclamations of "Shabash" (CapitaD.
"Khoob laga!" well hit), rose on every side,
so that even Sackyile made gallant effort,
and propped himself upon his uniniured arm
to look at the magnificent beast that, with
its well-defned jet-black stripes glistening in
the sun, lay dead q short distance from MIN.
1t was male, fully ten feet in length, and
as splendid a trophy of legitimate sport as the