STRANGE BEHAVIOUR OF A TIGER. 329 



round, and deliberately aiming at the spot where 

 the elbow touches the side, fired, and the beast, 

 without a groan, dropped perfectly motionless to the 

 shot. 



The other hunters had not been aware of the 

 tiger's being on foot till Norman's shots warned 

 them to be on the alert ; and as his position was 

 undiscernible from theirs, his death-whoop was the 

 first intimation they had of the termination of the 

 brief encounter, and it soon brought them to the 

 spot. 



" That is about the queerest tiger I ever saw," 

 said Norman, as he reloaded, after descending from 

 his tree. And then he detailed the circumstances 

 of the beast charging up the hill straight towards 

 his tree ; then, without appearing to take the least 

 notice of him, pass on, and utterly regardless of his 

 vicinity, deliberately squat down in the very front 

 of danger. 



" He must have got the stagers, I should think," 



o oo * 



said Mackenzie. " He has been rattled about enough 

 after his hearty meal last night, to interfere con- 

 siderably with his digestion. Don't you think he 

 saw you ? " 



" Hardly, I should say," was the reply. " He 

 certainly charged straight for the tree, and of course 

 I expected some sign of recognition ; but he quietly 



