A ROYAL TIGER 125 



when of his own accord he lifted it and looked about 

 him. How noble he looked ; there's an air of majesty 

 about a royal tiger in his own native wilds that must 

 make a man feel what a pigmy he is compared to him. 

 I could not help pausing to admire him, almost for- 

 getting that there was nothing but a piece of lead 

 between us. At last the moment for action was come, 

 so taking cool steady aim between his ears / fired. 

 Gently, like a child falling asleep, the awful head sank 

 slowly down between his massive arms, and without the 

 faintest groan or struggle the spirit of the grim old 

 monarch fled. I could scarcely believe my senses ; so 

 surprised was I that I instantly fired the second barrel 

 for his heart ; but he moved not those awful limbs were 

 still for ever. Loading, I cautiously went down to him 

 and found the ibex by his side. To describe my 

 feelings at that moment, I feel, is utterly impossible. 

 To describe the passing grandeur and magnificence of 

 this majestic animal, as he lay warm and harmless at 

 my feet, is equally so. As I gazed with proud pleasure 

 at his proud and noble head, his soft, lovely skin, his 

 large and awful teeth, his enormous arms and paws, 

 with the sharp curved claws, at his surpassingly beau- 

 tiful symmetry and grandeur throughout, I felt I had 

 indeed won the noblest prize this wide world can yield 

 a sportsman. His size was something I never saw 

 before ; his length is nearly 1 2 feet (measure that on the 

 floor and then imagine the tiger). His skin, which now 

 covers a great part of my room, is one of the shows of 

 Ootacamund, and the exclamations of some of the fair 

 ones, as they look at his fearful skull, amuse me. He 

 is indeed a noble trophy. I have heard many men who 

 have seen tigers' skins since boys, say they never saw 

 such a large skin. He is the regular mountain tiger, 

 whose great characteristic is the short thick tail ; had 



