152 THE TIGER. 



" With some difficulty, we made our way to the 

 inside of the southern bushes ; and, as we were look- 

 ing through the thicket, we perceived beau Tiger 

 slink away under them. Mr Barton fired, and hit 

 him a mortal blow about the shoulder or back, for 

 he instantly was checked, and my ball, which follow- 

 ed the same instant, threw him down. We two then 

 discharged our whole artillery, which originally con- 

 sisted of two double-barrelled guns, loaded with 

 slugs, and a pair of pistols. Most of them took ef- 

 fect, as we could discover by his wincing, for he was 

 not above ten yards from us at any time, and at one 

 moment, when the elephant chose to take fright and 

 turn his head round, away from the beast, running 

 his haunches almost into the bush, not Jive. By 

 this time William Fraser had come round, and dis- 

 charged a few balls at the tiger, which lay looking 

 at us, grinning and growling, his ears thrown back, 

 but unable to stir. A pistol fired by me, shattered 

 his lower jaw-bone ; and immediately, as danger of 

 approaching him was now over, one of the villagers, 

 with a matchlock, went close to him, and applying 

 the muzzle of his piece to the nape of his neck, shot 

 him dead, and put him out of his pain. The people 

 then dragged him out, and we dismounted to look 

 at him, pierced through and through ; yet one could 

 not contemplate him without satisfaction, as we 

 were told that he had long infested the high road, and 

 carried off many passengers. One hears of the roar 

 of a tiger, and fancies it like that of a bull, but, in 



