The Tiger 237 



excited feelings every now and then by a deep, tremulous 

 roaring, which seemed to awaken all the echoes of the sur- 

 rounding woods. The tiger, whose glaring eyes were fixed 

 upon his antagonist, now and again shifted his quarters a 

 few paces either to the right or the left, once coming so 

 near our ambuscade that I could almost have touched him 

 with the muzzle of my rifle ; but the wary old bull never 

 lost sight of him for a second, and ever followed his mo- 

 tions with his head lowered to receive an attack. At last 

 the tiger, which all along had been whining and growling 

 most impatiently, stole gently forward, his belly crouching 

 along the ground, every hair standing on end, his flanks 

 heaving, his back arched, and his tail whisking about and 

 lashing his sides ; but before he could gather himself to- 

 gether for a spring which might have proved fatal, the 

 bison, with a shriek of desperation, charged at full speed, 

 with his head lowered and the horns pointed upward, but 

 overshot the mark, as his antagonist adroitly shifted his 

 ground just in time to avoid a vicious stroke from the mas- 

 sive horns. Then making a half circle, he sprang with the 

 intention of alighting on the bison's broad neck and shoul- 

 ders. This the bull evaded by a dexterous twist ; and be- 

 fore his adversary could recover himself, he again rushed 

 at him, caught him behind the shoulders with his horns, 

 and flung him some distance, following up to repeat the 

 move, but the tiger slunk away to gather breath. 



" Round after round of the same kind followed, allowing 

 breathing-time between each, the tiger generally getting 

 the worst of it, for the bull sometimes received his rush 

 on his massive forehead and horns, and threw him a con- 



