THE BIOGRAPHY OF A TIGER 31 



edge of the grass. As the early sun appeared over the 

 bank and shone hotly down into the ravine, a striped head 

 slowly rose and gazed out with dazed and blinking eyes. 

 Then it sank out of sight again. 



Next time the body slowly followed the head, and the 

 young tiger stood up unsteadily, the birds darting and 

 diving round him in the air with harsh, angry cries. He 

 sluggishly stretched himself, looked over his shoulder, and 

 began to walk heavily down to the pool. He was still 

 shaken from that correcting slap dealt him by mother the 

 previous night, and he stood dejectedly awhile at the 

 water's edge before lowering his head and lapping weakly. 

 Then he turned away, and after looking about him for a 

 time, extended himself flat on the warm, dry sand. As 

 the sun climbed higher and hotter, he stirred uneasily 

 once or twice. Finally he rose to his feet and paced 

 slowly up the nullah. Where had the others gone ? 



As he wandered sulkily along and passed close to some 

 tall rank grass, he suddenly stopped, sniffed slowly, gazed 

 round suspiciously, then, still sniffing with outstretched 

 head, cautiously followed a grass-crushed trail into some 

 bamboo-shaded rocks. 



Round the corner lay the few unconsumed remains of 

 the hind sambar which had been the cause of his trouble. 

 The cub lay down at a respectful distance, and waited 

 patiently with his eyes on the carcase. But this time 

 nothing happened. Half an hour later he had crept up 

 in the shade, and was smelling the raw red flesh. Tigers 

 seldom touch their food much after dawn or much before 

 nightfall ; but this cub was very hungry. So, with many 

 suspicious halts to listen, he began to feed. 



Lying on his side, rolling on his back, growling softly 

 to himself, or patting the " kill " with protruded claws, he 

 fed and gnawed. Once he wandered off to the pool for 

 another drink but that was very warm, and a puff of 

 hot air, like that from a furnace-mouth, met him as he 



