"KILLING A MAN-EATER" 175 



Coming opposite the tree where we had shot at 

 the tiger, and under a patch of heavy undergrowth, 

 against a large boulder, we both saw it. Seeing 

 the elephant it gave a coughing roar, and as it did 

 I let go, catching it fair in the eye. Ali had his 

 spear poised ready to throw, but the man-eater 

 slumped down and to make sure I put another ex- 

 plosive bullet in its side as it lay. I called to the 

 Tungku we had got it. I will not try, for I could 

 not adequately describe the scene which followed 

 when the men knew their foe had been killed ; shout- 

 ing, yelling, dancing, they went wild. Runners 

 started off at once racing back to the kampong to 

 tell the news and have the women make ready a 

 feast. The return to the kampong was like a royal 

 procession. The Tungku and I on the elephant led 

 the way, the men carrying the dead tiger, singing 

 and laughing, calling the dead animal all manner 

 of names. There was great feasting that night; it 

 was made hideous with the singing and beating of 

 tom-toms, and, although dead tired from lack of 

 rest, sleep was impossible. In the morning the 

 Tungku did a most astonishing thing; nothing of 

 the kind had ever been known to the oldest subject; 

 he set free five of his debt slaves. 



On examination I found that the first time we 

 fired at her, while behind the trees, as she leapt back 

 from the shot Ali had fired, I had caught her in the 

 flank, smashing the hind leg, and with all her suf- 



