THE TIGER. 65 



been well oiled, and every precaution taken to avoid attracting 

 attention, the slight creaking, or the mere exposing a gap in 

 the wall, was enough to send the Tiger off his coign of vantage 

 down the kkud, amid the brushwood, in which it would have 

 been impossible to detect him, even could one have followed 

 him up quick enough. At length, as he seemed attached to 

 these rocks, we took out one of the panes from the bath-room 

 window, and three mornings after I was roused a little after 

 dawn, and hurried to the scene of action. The rain was 

 coming down heavily, but the animal did not seem to mind it; 

 he certainly presented an unique picture, standing to full 

 height, lashing his sides with his tail, and gazing towards the 

 road down which the cattle from the lines usually came to 

 their grazing-grounds. As he presented his broadside to us, 

 and was certainly not more than thirty yards off, the selection 

 of the vital part was easy enough ; the Major fired, while I 

 went to the bedroom window to note the shot. The aim 

 proved true, the ball entering behind the shoulder and lodg- 

 ing in the right shoulder-blade. With a tremendous bound 

 into mid-air, but without any sound so far as we could hear, 

 the Tiger appeared to turn a complete summersault, falling 

 over out of sight. Allowing half an hour to pass, we went 

 down and found him quite dead. Mr. Inglis, a resident in the 

 station, had a pet Sambhar Stag, which was chased all round 

 the house in the most audacious manner in broad daylight by 

 a half-grown male Tiger, and though Mr. Inglis and two guests 

 quickly snatched up guns, it was impossible to fire, as the 

 chased and chaser ran in and out among the outbuildings. 

 Eventually thi Deer dashed into the main entrance, when the 

 Tiger made off, still keeping among the buildings until he had 

 secured a good ' offing,' then turning round to look at his would- 

 be destroyers. 



" I do not know whether the story has ever been related be- 

 7 f 



