364 THE EASTERN HUNTERS. 



the animal had sought retreat, and now lay un- 

 harassed by the missiles so freely expended. 



Moved by the sarcasm of the professional shika- 

 ree, whose word was so much depended on by the 

 hunters, he, as he himself would have expressed it, 

 " bound on his courage." 



Taking a couple of flower-pots, without making 

 an observation to anyone or demanding any assist- 

 ance, he descended the hill by a circuitous path, 

 which led him to the foot of the cliff on which he 

 had been lately standing. Stationing himself behind 

 a boulder, he lighted one of his fireworks, and threw 

 it into a recess which gaped black and dim a few 

 yards from him. It fizzed and spluttered, then died 

 out. He approached somewhat nearer, and lighting 

 the other, threw it beyond a ledge which his closer 

 position enabled him to discern. It had barely 

 touched the ground when a roar came from the 

 recess, and a tiger sprang out, passed within a few 

 yards of him, and, after bounding over the boulders 

 of rock in front, went galloping down the steep hill- 

 side. 



When Roopur saw the success of his operation, 

 and that the tiger was well clear of him, he jumped 

 on to a rock in the sight of all the beaters, except 

 those immediately above. Pointing with one hand 

 triumphantly to the descending tiger, and with the 



