BULLET AND SHOT 



expeditious, as the tiger might be expected at any 

 moment. I sent away the other men and the pony 

 at 5 p.m., telling the former to talk loudly as they 

 went along. In about a quarter of an hour after 

 their departure, out of the corner of my eye I saw 

 the tiger advancing from my right rear. He came 

 on and lay down under a tree on my right, and 

 therefore as much out of my reach as if he had 

 been invisible. The stems which had been put in 

 to hide me were very short, and I could not possibly 

 have turned without putting the animal to flight 

 before obtaining any possible chance of a shot at 

 him. He lay there for some time a very long 

 time it seemed to me "so near, and yet so far," 

 and I crouched as low as I could, merely watching 

 him. 



He surveyed the whole surroundings, looking 

 alternately towards the kill, my shelter, and every 

 point within his sight, as he lay flat on the ground. 

 At last, satisfied with his survey, he got up and 

 walked, not towards the kill, which was some 

 twenty-five yards off in front of me, but between 

 me and it, and only eight or ten paces from me ! I 

 could stand it no longer. He towered above the 

 stems in front of me, and I began to raise myself 

 from my prone position into a sitting one, in order 

 to take my shot. He caught the motion on the 

 instant, spun round, and swore just like a cat. 

 I detected a glimpse through the screen of a bit 

 of white (which I took to be the white hair on his 

 chest), and hastily pitching and pulling, fired a snap- 

 shot at him. Jumping to my feet, I saw the tiger 



164 



