TIGERLAND 



Seeing the " sahib " was evidently in earnest, the man 

 made no reply, but with another low " salaam " went off, 

 seeming to accept the decision as a final one. 



However, a few days later, Jackson was seated by the 

 camp fire late one night, giving some orders to a ranger, 

 when suddenly a loud report, as of a gun, came echoing 

 through the forest. Seizing his rifle, which with a lantern 

 he always kept beside him, he rushed off in the direction 

 whence the sound proceeded, accompanied by the ranger 

 and his shikari. 



As they approached nearer they heard another shot, 

 followed by the sounds of some one shouting, and mingling 

 with the sound, some low gurgling noise as if some animal 

 was in pain, all evidently proceeding from the hut of the 

 recluse. 



A minute or two later they arrived there, to find this 

 mysterious individual armed with a huge axe, dancing 

 round what seemed to be a pit, and striking furiously at 

 some animal which had, apparently, fallen into it. 



The man seemed for the moment quite beside himself 

 with rage, and from his manner and appearance might well 

 have been mistaken for some wild man of the woods as 

 savage and uncontrolled as any of his four-footed com- 

 panions. 



The animal in the pit proved to be a bear and a huge 

 one of its kind, but in a most pitiable condition, its head and 

 face being hacked almost to pieces, yet whilst bleeding at 

 every pore the beast was still alive and making frantic 

 efforts to climb out. Jackson, to end its sufferings, quickly 

 fired a bullet through its brain ; then, assisted by the 

 others, seized the madman, for such he seemed to be, and, 

 after a sharp struggle, deprived him of his weapon. 



Nevertheless he continued struggling for a time, but 

 his captors, both strong, determined men, soon overpowered 

 him and, with a rope found lying near the hut, secured his 

 arms and legs. But though secured he was not yet con- 

 quered and continued tearing at his bonds in his efforts 

 to get free, his mind evidently still bent on inflicting further 

 injuries on his victim, regardless of the fact that the beast 

 was now quite dead. 



From the extraordinary and seemingly unreasonable 

 110 



