158 WILD BEASTS AND THEIR WAYS CHAP. 



the edge of this opaque screen, there was an open sjmce about 9 

 or 10 feet wide, where a large rotten tree had been blown down; 

 and should the tiger continue its present course it would pass the 

 karoonda biwh and cross over the clear opening. I resolved to 

 wait ; therefore, resting my left elbow upon my knee, I covered 

 the shoulder of the unconscious tiger, and followed it with the 

 577 ritle carefully, resolved to exorcise the devil that had for so 

 long protected it. 



The shouts of the beaters were now heard distinctly, and the 

 loud tom-tom sounded cheerfully as the line approached. Several 

 times the tiger stopped, and turned its head to listen ; then it dis- 

 appeared from view behind the dense screen of the karoonda bush. 



I lowered the rifle, to rest my arm for a moment. So long a 

 time elapsed, that I was afraid the tiger had turned straight up 

 the hill iu a direct line with the bush, and thus lost to sight ; I 

 had almost come to this sad conclusion, when a magnificent head 

 projected from the dark green bush into the bright light of the open 

 space. For quite 15 seconds the animal thus stood with only the 

 head exposed to view, turned half-way round to listen. I felt 

 quite sure that I could have put a bullet through its brain ; but I 

 waited. Presently it emerged, a splendid form, and walked slowly 

 across the open space. At the same moment as I touched the 

 trigger, the tiger reared to its full height upon its hind legs, and 

 with a roar that could have been heard at a couple of miles' dis- 

 tance it seized a small tree within its jaws, and then fell backwards ; 

 it gave one roll down the slope, and lay motionless. The devil was 

 cast out. 



I never saw such enthusiastic rejoicing as was occasioned by the 

 death of this notorious tiger. The news ran like fire through the 

 neighbouring villages before we had completed the packing of the 

 animal upon Demoiselle. I had no means of weighing this tiger, 

 but it was the heaviest I have ever seen, and although we had four 

 poles beneath its body and a great number of willing men at the 

 extremities, we had great difficulty in loading Demoi-selle. By the 

 time we had completed the operation we had a large crowd in 

 attendance, all of whom followed the elephant upon the march 

 towards our camp bearing the body of the tiger, which had been 

 the scourge of their herds during so many years. 



At least 300 women and children assembled to satisfy themselves 

 that their enemy was really dead. The women kissed his feet 

 and wiped their eyes with the tip of his tail ; for what purpose 

 could not be explained. 



As this animal had lived in luxury, it was immensely fat, and 



