COLONEL NIGHTINGALES LETTER. 213 



the beast and missed, however, I soon got another point at 

 him and hit him in the shoulder ; he rushed off over the brow 

 of a low hill opposite, and suddenly I saw him when about 

 a hundred and fifty yards off charge something in the bushes 

 with an awful roar. I could see nothing, as I knew all the 

 coolies were out of the jungle on a hill and in trees ; however, 

 I took a shot and hit, but did not stop the beast, and the next 

 instant I saw to my horror a man emerge from the bushes 

 beyond and walk straight towards the tiger who rushed 

 furiously at him, struck him down and pounced upon him with 

 the evident intention of tearing him to pieces. The tiger and 

 man were in a confused heap on the ground about a hundred 

 and thirty yards off, a very long shot from a huttie ; there was 

 a ravine between us, and I could not get closer, I was as 

 likely to hit the man as the tiger if I fired ; I was perfectly 

 cool though of course alarmed for the man, and I therefore 

 claim credit for deliberately running the risk of shooting the 

 man and losing my shikar reputation at one blow. It being, 

 however, the poor fellow's sole chance for life, I fired my 

 left barrel with, as it turned out, a good aim. I heard the 

 ball smack loudly, but at such a distance I could not be 

 sure of my shot, but as it sounded like hitting bone I 

 feared it might have hit the man's skull. To my delight 

 the tiger gave a baffled roar, rolled off the man and plunged 

 into the ravine ; my conical from the double Kennedy had 

 carried off the entire lower jaw and fangs of the brute. Did 

 you ever hear of such a lucky shot? Anywhere else could 

 not have saved the man, but without a jaw the tiger could 

 not grab him. It is supposed about here that I fired at the 

 jaw, but you and I know better, don't we ? It was a cool 

 shot and a good one, but not such a teazer as all that ; the 



