io 4 SIR VICTOR BROOKE CHAP. 



bounded with the severity of the bumps as he fell from 

 rise to rise, and coming to a high rock, about the height 

 of the dining-room, he disappeared over it with a heavy 

 thud into the thick brambly nullah which divided the 

 hill we were on from the next. ' At last I've killed a 

 tiger,' thought I, with intense satisfaction. But where 

 is the wife all this time ? till now nowhere to be seen. 

 But when all our barrels were empty, on a rock, about 

 10 yards from where the other tiger was when first 

 fired at, we saw the grim, sleek-faced, yet beautiful 

 creature standing eyeing us with the most savage, 

 determined look in that 'cold gray eye' of hers. 

 Keeping my eye steadily fixed on hers, I rammed 

 down the ball, put on the cap and prepared to 

 extinguish her ; she had never moved a muscle all the 

 time. Steady, bang ! divil a move, your ladyship. Troth 

 I missed her don't ask how. I can't say it is the 

 only shot of the kind I have missed in India ; I felt as 

 if a giant had swallowed me, so very little did I appear ; 

 I could only just see out of my boots. The tigress 

 then jumped off the rock and walked sulkily away. 

 Brine fired and missed ; she was now a long way off ; 

 and as she bounded into a small wood, with her tail 

 swinging behind her, I let fly and hit her. She gave a 

 roar, and took an awful spring into the jungle ; 

 presently out she came again and lay down to cool her 

 wound in a brook ; after doing this she disappeared 

 again. We went to look at the first tiger and found 

 him mizzled ; he had crept off I All that day and the 

 next we looked for him ; but though we were sure he 

 was dead, we could not find a sign. This last expedi- 

 tion, six weeks afterwards, I found part of his skull, 

 and that is all I shall ever find of my first tiger. Un- 

 satisfactory ; but I am glad I found even it. Now for 

 the other the great bag of V. A. B." 



