THE TIGER'S DYING STRUGGLE 



I felt sure that the object before me must be one of the 

 three tigers, and thankful to find I had only one to deal 

 with, I brought my rifle to my shoulder ready to fire as 

 soon as I could select a fatal spot. The animal now raised 

 its head, and, turning it to one side, stood in an attitude 

 of attention. There was no longer room for any doubt. 

 The short, fluffy ears, huge flat head, and powerful neck 

 were all too unmistakable. It was indeed a tiger, and 

 apparently a monster of its kind, for the whole outline was 

 now distinct, and in that more than semi-darkness, 

 probably looked larger than it was. 



I was just about to fire at the neck, so temptingly 

 displayed, when fortunately, I remembered having once 

 been warned never to make the slightest movement when 

 a tiger is on its " kill," unless it is actually engaged in 

 eating, so I refrained. With bated breath, and heart 

 beating as if it would burst, I stood rigid as a rock, watching 

 the huge beast. At last, to my intense relief, the head 

 went down again and the crunching was resumed. The 

 next instant, aiming just below the shoulder-blades, I 

 pulled the trigger. Then came a scene needing an abler 

 pen than mine to describe. A blinding flash lit up the 

 gloom, followed by a darkness more oppressive than before. 

 Then a hoarse, appalling roar which seemed to shake the 

 earth, succeeded by a gnashing of teeth and beating of 

 bushes all around and about me, as if a dozen tigers were 

 engaged in mortal strife all round my stump. So rapid 

 and violent were the movements of the evidently stricken 

 beast, and so close did it at times approach my tree, that, 

 expecting every moment to be attacked, I seized the 

 " dao " (a short, sharp Bengali knife) I had stuck into the 

 stump. In the hurry and excitement I grasped it tightly 

 by the blade, cutting my fingers, as I afterwards discovered. 

 For a minute or two, which to me seemed hours, the com- 

 motion round my tree went on ; then there was a quick 

 rush through the grass, followed by a heavy fall, another 

 violent struggle, and all still and silent as before. Presently 

 from the village there arose the same unearthly din of 

 clappers, gongs, and tomtoms I have described before. In 

 vain I shouted for the villagers to come up with lights ; 

 my voice was drowned in the loud clamour that they made. 



R 241 



