them. Calling was useless : nothing could be heard 

 in the roar and din that the enraged animals still kept 

 up. We watched the other side of the ravine with- 

 something more than anxiety, and when Jock's reddish- 

 looking form broke through the bracken near to the 

 tiger's rock, I felt like shutting my eyes till all was over. 

 We saw him move close under the rock and then 

 disappear. We watched for some seconds it may 

 have been a minute, but it seemed an eternity and 

 then, feeling the utter futility of waiting there, 

 jumped off the rock and ran down .the slope in the 

 hope that the dogs would hear us call from there. 



From where the slope was steepest we looked down 

 into the bed of the stream at the bottom of the ravine, 

 and the two dogs were there : they were moving 

 cautiously down the wide stony watercourse just as 

 we had seen them move in the morning, their noses 

 thrown up and heads turning slowly from side to side. 

 We knew what was coming ; there was no time to 

 reach them through the bush below ; the cries of 

 the baboons made calling useless ; and the three of us 

 sat down with rifles levelled ready to fire at the first 

 sight. With gun gripped and breath hard held, 

 watching intently every bush and tree and rock, 

 every spot of light and shade, we sat not daring to 

 move. Then, over the edge of a big rock overlook- 

 ing the two dogs, appeared something round ; and, 

 smoothly yet swiftly and with a snake-like movement, 

 the long spotted body followed the head and, flattened 

 against the rock, crept stealthily forward until the tiger 

 looked straight down upon Jess and Jock. 

 273 s 



