58 Incidents of Foreign Field Sport. 



desert me and I held the weapon straight, the bullet 

 would not fail me. I had a splendid support, for 

 my feet resting on a rock a little below, enabled 

 me to place my elbows on my knees, so taking 

 a rapid but careful sight, I fired. What happened 

 for the next second or two I cannot tell, for at 

 the report of the rifle the girls screamed and made 

 for the bank, luckily on the side they had entered 

 the river. The smoke hung, but there was a roar 

 and something flashed past me, and as the smoke 

 cleared away I saw a tiger in the water bounding 

 towards the girls, who, huddled together, appeared 

 paralysed with fright and unable to move. Surely, 

 thought I, I could not have missed. I never fired 

 more coolly or steadily in my life and if struck the 

 brute should be as dead as a door-nail. But the 

 fact remains, there he is, and if I don't disable 

 him within the next minute he'll kill some of those 

 girls. Then I remembered the roar behind me and 

 the flashing of something over me, and wondered 

 whether there could be a second brute, but I had not 

 much time for cogitation. Act I must, and that 

 speedily. Fortunately I had not altered my position ; 

 my elbows were still on my knees, and aiming at the 

 would-be destroyer's broad back. I fired. Luckily a 

 gust of wind at that moment blew the smoke aside 

 and I saw the tiger rear up, give a gasp, and then 

 swim steadily forward. I dropped the rifle and seized 

 the gun, but by that time the tiger was all but out 

 of the water, and as he made for the girls I fired and 

 broke a fore leg, but beyond stumbling and giving 

 one snarling roar, he continued on his way. Again I 

 pressed the trigger when over he rolled, almost within 



