TIGERLAND 



Now was my opportunity, for he was standing broad- 

 side on to me. Trembling with excitement I held my 

 breath, and raising the rifle carefully, pulled for his head, 

 just behind the ear. As the smoke cleared off I saw that 

 he had dropped upon his knees, then he rolled over and lay 

 kicking on his side. 



I sprang up immediately, shouting loudly at the herd, 

 for at the sound of the report they had come charging down 

 upon me; but yelling with all the energy of despair, I 

 fortunately succeeded in changing their direction and, turn- 

 ing sharply to the left, they went scampering up the valley. 

 So close had they approached that I could have touched 

 them with my rifle ; in fact, another yard, and I must have 

 been trampled under foot, killed outright perhaps, or at 

 least probably maimed for life. It was truly a marvellous 

 escape, and all due to a powerful pair of lungs ! 



But I had no sooner escaped one danger than I was 

 threatened by another, for I had hardly recovered from my 

 fright and was stooping to pick up a cartridge I had 

 dropped, when I heard a sound behind me, and, turning 

 quickly round, saw to my horror that the bull was on his 

 feet ! 



Standing there with glaring eyeballs, and the blood 

 pouring from both nostrils, he was not a pleasing sight at 

 such unpleasantly close quarters ! Not that I had much 

 time to study his appearance, for the next moment, having 

 either scented or caught sight of me, down went his head, 

 and with a bellow that shook the very ground, he came 

 thundering down upon me. 



I had barely time to bring my rifle to the shoulder, and 

 when I fired he had almost reached me. I had aimed 

 roughly at his head, only too thankful to get in a shot at 

 all, but, fortune favouring me, the bullet, as I subsequently 

 discovered, struck exactly where it should, and he rolled 

 over at my feet. 



Reloading my empty rifle, I stood prepared for a second 

 resurrection, for I did not know then that my bullet had 

 pierced the brain ; but presently, as his struggles ceased, 

 I saw blood oozing from his forehead through a hole which 

 had not been there before, and I knew then that I had won. 

 However, my late experience had taught me caution, so, 

 164 



