BY TAMARIND AND MHOWA 183 



more than fifty yards away, and we might rise within the 

 range of vision of him who lies therein ! Here, however, 

 are several stout, close-set saplings, and a thorny bush. 

 Behind these we shall be hidden and to a large extent 

 sheltered. If the beast does break, he will pass within 

 about forty yards of us, going away. It is quite a suitable 

 spot. 



Look at the wrist-watch. Five minutes to wait. See 

 that the " cut-off" of the little rifle is open, the magazine 

 full, and a cartridge still in the chamber. Gently lift away 

 that dry teak leaf. 



There is a brooding silence, broke by the far-away 

 mewing of a peacock "Pe-/taun/ Pe-/iaunJ Pt-haun!" 



A deep sigh does not much relieve the feeling of tension, 

 which is becoming distressing. 



Suddenly through the still woods resounds a distant 

 Tok ! Tok I Tok ! Those were blows with the back of 

 an axe on a dead tree. Faintly sound the voices of the 

 men. There goes the axe again ! And another. Tok ! 

 Tok ! They are getting slowly closer ; but as yet there is 

 not the ghost of a sign from the ndla. We should not 

 wonder if, after all, it contained nothing but the carcase of 

 our poor htta. 



There comes one of the crows ; another behind him. 

 They fly up and alight nearer us. "Caw caw ! Ke-aw!" 



The rifle is at the ready ; thumb on the safety-bolt ready 

 to press it back. Still nothing appears. 



The men must be quite close now. By Jove ! There's 

 a figure hastily climbing a tree ! 



A small bird comes fluttering out of a bush rather to 

 our right, and attracts sudden attention. No. It is nothing. 

 Our eyes return to the edge of the 



In some extraordinary way there is a tiger standing 

 there, close in front of us broadside on ! 



Chick / goes the safety-bolt. 



It is a tiger! But for the life of us we cannot tell how 



