RUNNING A FOOLISH RISK. 297 



turning and darting down the jungle towards Mac- 

 kenzie in a series of tremendous bounds, at the same 

 time giving audible signs of his dissatisfaction at 

 the treatment he had met with. 



The beaters continued on ; and when they had 

 reached the level of Hawkes' tree, he descended and 

 joined Norman by a circuitous path. He had hardly 

 done so, and from, the bottom of Norman's tree was 

 exchanging with his friend above a few brief 

 inquiries, when a man was seen to advance into the 

 jungle and move across an opening, as if to com- 

 municate with a marker in an adjacent tree. 



" What is that fellow doing there, I wonder ? " 

 remarked Norman, angrily. " The man is mad. 

 Do you see him, Hawkes ? " 



The words were hardly spoken, when the tiger 

 sprang out of a thick clump of bushes, and charged 

 straight at the man, who, apparently petrified, made 

 no effort to escape. Indeed, there was no time to 

 do so. 



The man was, unfortunately, directly between the 

 enraged beast and the two spectators, so that they 

 were unable to fire ; and there seemed no hope for 

 the wretched creature. 



" God of my fathers ! he'll be on him in a 

 moment," ejaculated Norman, with horror. " I must 

 risk it, I'll fire." 



