Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1929-12-29

where out in that green into which was strain
ing my eyes was the great striped beast we had
hunted so long, sleeping, or perhaps padding
about ON stealthy feet, staring through the
jungle at us.
Six O'Clock. Seven o'clock. Eight o'clock
Nine O'Clock. Friends of ours had got their
tiger at quarter to 9. SO I had set 9, mentally,
as a lucky hour, but passed uneventfully.
Then remembered a story had heard about a
tiger that had been seen at IL o'clock and set
IL as the time at which things would happen
HE business of standing motionless on your
feet for hour after hour had a way, I
noticed, Of losing its first charm of novelty BY
IL o'clock felt had exhausted all the posi-
bilities for Joy in the situation. I never wanted
to stand still again so long as lived
knew Herbert was sharing my emotion. Our
only diversion was TO glance warningly at each
other ii we ratified leaf. There is no strain on
the family tie, or on any tie of friendship COM
parable to huntingl A little matter of clear
ing the throat or munching chocolate or scuf-
hing the feet Separateth very friends. You AL
ways know that If the other had not made Just
the noise he did, at the moment he did, you
would have got your lion whatever you were
after.
will say for Herbert and myself that no
V1olets were more unobtrusive by their messy
stone than we behind that bush. He Is fisher
man, anyway. and watchful waiting comes
easier to him than to me- but nothing could
have surpassed my logged determination not
to give hint OF our presence to betray US
to that tiger.
The minutes passed with incredible slowness
The sun burned hotter and hotter. We would
not stir. One Of us could have rested while
the other watched. but we were too strung up
for that Our nerves were tense.
Eleven o'clock Nothing happened Then
IL. The sun was high overhead. I felt
burning up; the blood throbbing in my temples.
I thought of the nights on an African noun
tain when we had stood on guard against
marauding elephants, shivering with cold on the
wind-swept heights, and wondered why had
ever objected to cold and wind.
From the jungle beyond us came sound
of splashing water. Tigers played in water
Was 1t the tiger-or was it the herd of gaur
we had seen the day before? looked question:
ingly down at the tracker and he grinned back
at me. confirming my tiger hope
A little later 1t seemed to me that I could
see, through the swimming waves of heat the
CLEAN OF striped face for an instant between
the green jungle growths. 1t was gone even
as thought saw 1t, and told mystelf that
1t was all q trick OF my straining eyes, I was
getting so could see tigers all over the place
AT o'clock came a rush Of clouds, fore
warning OF the storm that was sweeping up
with equatorial fury. The darkness shut swiftly
in about us, the heavens opened overhead and
US. The tracker shivered and slipped softly
away up the ravine. We put our guns under
our coats to keep them dry, and for the next
two hours we stood there in the soaking down.
pour, wondering If we had really been nice
and dry and hot a short time before
Then the rain ceased and the sun came out
more family, and the tall grass about us, bend
ing with rains began to straighten while the
glistening beaded drops on it dried
We took turns now sitting down close by
the blind, cautiously stretching a cramped arm
or leg. In my turn beguiled myself by writ
ing out telegram to be sent back to our com.
panions If the hunt turned out we'll wrote:
"Aristide passed away at Sis this afternoon"
Then I stopped-5:l5 was too near If I set
that as time and it passed, uneventfully,
stead added, ''The end came suddenly while
he was dining"
printed this out carefully and held It up
for Herbert to look at, but from his perfunctory
smile could see that hope was not radiant In
him. There was just doggedneSS left-the thing
was an endurance test.
THE day was fading fast Five-thirty
FiVe-forty. In few minutes it would
be too dark to see to shoot If anything did
come. As soon as it was dusk the tiger might
begin TO prowl, and do his providing anywhere
about us We began to glance over our
shoulders rather wariy
Only Is minutes more in which it would be
possible to shoot, I thought glancing at my
wrist watch. It was just 545.
was at the blind. peering through the peep
hole on Herbert'S side, and Herbert was directly
behind me. sitting down. There was a feeling