Evening star., 1922-02-05

AA IA@o SoIu8n. ~ might pe UesI 10
use fresh cartridges"
Maitland turned and looked at the
Sikh. "Eh? Oh. just put in fresh
loads. my man-not FIVE minutes ago.
Quite all right, I assure you."
Rao Singh saluted and stood i'm
passive, his darlsly glistening eyes
searching the ravine and bushes.
by the way" said Fortescue sud-
denly. remember there's a kick to
that gun, Maitland. Mind how you
press the? trigger
Maitland nodded and made no an
swer.
A tense "cluck" from Rao Singh
brought Fortescue to his feet. The
pipe fell unheeded. At the farther
end Of the ravine there was a wave
of the bushes, a ripple Of the shrub
berry. A hundred yards distant some-
thing that was not of the trees or
the earth gave whipping move
merft. and was gone.
"Stay here, old chap" gaid For
tescue quietly to his cousin. Then to
Rao Singh. "Come along, ressaldar."
Fortescue stepped forward. For a
brief instant the gaze Of Rao Singh
bit into Maitland: then the tall Sikh
followed with the spare gun. Matt
land stood waiting. motionless,
pasty look creeping into his face.
The noise Of the beaters had quieted,
now that the beast was in the trap.
Through the jungle crouched the
brown men at safe distance. waiting
for the sound Of shots which would
tell them that the white sahibs had
conquered. The three men in the
gully were entirely alone, save for
twitching of the farther bushes.
A whirlwind burst the shrub asrn-
der and out into the open broke the
great cat, q very embodiment of fe-
line fury. crouched low. Fortcscne
laughed softly and ordered Rao
Singh to toss another stone. A saarl
broke out upon the brute's face. and
this, stripes padded forward, as a cat
creeps low-belied upon q string that
is jerked away.
Maitland trembled. clutched at his
rifle, tried to call out. Words would
not come from his dry throat.
i + 4 \
CCARCELY twenty feet. it seemed.
from Fortescue and the Sikh. the
tiger crouched for the spring. Then,
moving like a flash. Fortescue shoul-
dered his rife and fired. The striped
cat hurled upward and forward. For
tescue fred a second time. Unhurt,
the tiger struck him squarely, just
as he had seized the spare gun that
Rao Singh thrust into his hand. The
gun was jerked across his breast and
throat as he fell under the brute.
"wah, Guru" grunted Rao Singh.
Unhesitant, he had unsheathed his
knife and now flung himself forward
to divert the tiger from Fortescue.
He tried for the eyes-and missed.
His crippled leg failed him.
"Wah, Guru!" he grunted again. as
he plunged bodily against the beast
and drove his knife into the yellow
and black fur. 'Wah-"
One paw caught him across the
shoulders and knocked him sprawling
twenty feet away, where he lay mo-
tionless.
The tiger gave single swipe Of
his paw At Fortescue's body-and
Maitland fred. his bullet going home
behind the exposed shoulder. He
fired again as the tiger whirled upon
him, and missed. He fired a third
time. and the great cat stretched out
in the dirt and clawed at the ground
in the death throes.
Maitland threw his weapon away
and stumbled forward, running blind
ly, careless Of any possible danger.
When he came near to Fortescue's
body he halted. staring. A At of
trembling seized upon him as he
looked upon the bloody sight.
my work." he cried out in loath-
ing Of himself. 'Ah-'
For a moment his self-control was
lost. Then he swore savagely and
pulled himself together. A glance
showed him that Rao Singh still lay
motionless. perhaps dead. He jerked
himself forward to where lay the
double -barreled rife that Fortescue
had dropped. His face like death it
jerked out tho two brass cases that
might show marks Of tampe:!ng. and
replaced them with fresh cartridges.
He fired both barrels in the air and
thun flung down the gun.
"Done! he calculated, his hands
shaking, his mouth loose on the
word.
He turned, startled. as Rao Singh
slowly came to his feet. badly hurt.
"Yes, sahib," said the Sikh; done!
And It was your work, for saw you
take loads from two cartridges last
night and the empty cases there on
the ground prove it."
A strangled cry broke from Matt
land. His eyes swept about him ter
ribly. There was no weapon save
the gun clutched in the red hands Of
Fortescue, and that he dared not
touch. The other gun he had just
discharged. And Rao Singh was
moving toward him with a frightful
slowness, a frightful certainty!
The mans agonized eyes found his
repeating rife, tossed aside after he
had shot the tiger. If he could but
reach it!
'"This is between us. sahib, and we
/ be men," said Rao Singh. He still
came toward Maitland, his hands out
stretched as though to grip.
Maitland could not speak. Clutched
by fear and horror, he leaped like q
startled deer and ran. He sobbed as
he ran up the ravine toward the re-
peater that lay upon the ground.
Yet Rao Singh no longer attempted
to follow, but drew. himself erect,
smiling grimly. and put his hand. to
the steel ring about his turban.
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