LIONS AND TIGERS. 243 



companions into a natural hiding-place behind a lot of 

 water plants not unlike sugar-cane. I gave Thursday- 

 two rounds of ammunition, but cautioned him under 

 no circumstances to fire without explicit orders from 

 me when and how to do so. We had lain nearly an 

 hour in this pleasant spot, drinking in malaria and 

 marsh fever, wdien the tiger appeared. It was a beau- 

 tiful moonlight night, and we could see him advancing 

 at a stately pace, his wide black bands moving rapidly 

 enough to give him the appearance of being entirely 

 brown, just as the quick turning of a colored disk 

 leaves only a white impression to the eye. He came 

 with head up, a superb sight (see frontispiece), and wdien 

 ten yards from us scented us, as well as the bull, 

 and paused, evidently torn with conflicting desires, and 

 uncertain how best to gratify his insatiable stomach, 

 gorged wdth human blood from over forty victims the 

 night before. His lips parted, showing a set of sharp, 

 ugly teeth ; his skin wrinkled, especially over his fore- 

 head ; his nostrils quivered, distending to their widest 

 at the prospect of such delicacies ; and his eyes gleamed 

 with cruel anticipation. It seemed, lying there within 

 one of his bounds, as though he took a long time to 

 decide. At length he crouched ready to spring, but 

 whether upon the bull or us it was impossible yet to 

 tell. My gun was at my shoulder, the barrel pointed 

 between those wicked eyes. There was a moment of 

 intense suspense. The poor bull tried to break away 



