TIGER-SHOOTING. 175 



rifle, and lowering it down to the ground by means 

 of my i cummerbund,' or waistcloth, slithered down 

 the trunk of the tree, holloaing out to Hebbert, 

 1 Where are you?' Not receiving any reply ,'I picked 

 up my rifle, and was preparing to walk in the 

 direction where I thought he was, when I caught 

 sight of a tiger advancing round a bend of the 

 nullah, and not fifty yards from me. She stopped 

 for an instant, and began staring hard in the 

 direction from whence the beaters were coming. 

 I seized this moment to quietly and rapidly 

 slip back behind the trunk of the tree, whose 

 friendly branches I had lately occupied, and, 

 squeezing myself flat behind the trunk, I, with the 

 least possible motion, slipped in a couple of cart- 

 ridges, and in great trepidation waited the turn 

 of events. Oh ! how my heart beat as I saw the 

 tiger slip into the nullah, and creep stealthily 

 along under the bank straight for me. A flood of 

 thoughts rushed through my brain. What had I 

 best do ? I dared not shout, for that would prob- 

 ably have turned her right back among the 

 beaters, some of whom might be mauled. At last 

 when certainly not more than eight or ten yards 

 from me, and if she had continued her course she 

 must have passed within three feet of me, I deter- 

 mined to step out from behind my shelter, and 

 take the opportunity of the surprise my sudden 



