302 THE TRAIL OP THE TIGER 



of beaters, about seventy-five yards from where 

 I sat in position up a tree. He was a regal sight 

 as he came out silently, slowly— stopping, with half 

 his body still uncovered, while, with raised paw, 

 like a cat, he cautiously surveyed the field. The 

 picture was so enjoyable, for the moment, 1 did not 

 think of shooting, or, in my inexperience, realize 

 that at any instant he might disappear. And so it 

 was— for suddenly, with a spring and a turn to one 

 side he was gone into the jungle again ; but I had 

 awakened from my trance with his first move and 

 as he vanished put in a shot which scored because 

 I saw him switch around and bite his stern as the 

 cover closed upon him. The piece of jungle into 

 which he had retreated was dense at the edges, but 

 opened up some just beyond, and we made our way 

 on the tracks slowly and carefully, one of the 

 beaters having a little mongrel fox terrier type of 

 dog that went forward on the trail with unex- 

 pected courage. We were a long time before get- 

 ting to a very dense piece where we hesitated, 

 while part of the men and the dog went off to one 

 side with a view to making a survey of the close 

 cover from another point. As they worked off I 

 moved forward a little in an endeavor to find a 

 better position, from which to look ahead. I had 

 got but a short distance and where I could not see 

 six feet ahead, when I was halted by a sudden 



