206 HE LOOKED THE WRONG WAY. 



devouring them with great avidity, the natural guardians 

 apparently looking on at the proceedings of the great robber 

 most apathetically. From this I concluded that the hornets 

 came to feed on the maggots which had become pretty 

 plentiful in the carcass of the bison. After I had been some 

 time on my perch one of those ichneumons, or whatever they 

 are, passed under the tree. I could not get a good sight of it 

 from the branches. It was about twelve o'clock, and I was 

 getting hungry and thinking of tiffin, when I suddenly spied 

 the form of the tiger swiftly approaching the carcass. His 

 quick ear immediately caught the sound of cocking the rifle, 

 and he stood to listen looking the other way ; he was partly 

 hidden by bamboos, but his shoulder was quite clear, and 

 he was not above twenty-five to thirty yards off, so I took a 

 steady shot with Ross, to catch him just behind the shoulder. 

 At the report I found myself flying through the air, lighting 

 on my feet at the foot of the ladder, the recoil having 

 knocked me off my perch. I had heard no roar. In an 

 instant I was up the ladder again. No tiger was to be seen. 

 I loaded and went up to the spot ; there were the marks of 

 his paws as he had sprung away, and oh ! with what a sinking 

 heart I beheld the ground all grooved up by my bullet. I 

 was revived a little when Atley said, after examining the 

 spot, that the ball must have passed through the tiger, and 

 was much excited when on the other side of the nullah I 

 found a leaf sprinkled with blood. Cautiously we followed up 

 the track, and I found the ladder of great use, as by mount 

 ing it occasionally I could reconnoitre the whole ground in 

 front. He bled very little, and after about two hundred 

 yards we came to a complete check. After looking about 

 for some time Atley suddenly exclaimed, " He's dead ! " 



