A BULLET'S PASSAGE. 369 



" Look at the tiger," said Mackenzie. " You may 

 see it hit hard. The bullet entered at the head, and 

 here it is." Drawing his hunting-knife, he made a 

 small incision in the skin of the belly, where the 

 bullet lay underneath, and extracted it, crushed and 

 jagged by its passage through the body. 



Roopur eyed it with great respect, and, stooping 

 down, measured the distance it had passed, using 

 his arm from tip of finger to elbow for that purpose. 



" You thought to deceive me, did you ? " he said, 

 apostrophising the brindled beauty, as Mackenzie 

 moved away. " Didn't you know Roopur had seen 

 you ? And you thought I had spoken a false word," 

 he continued, turning to Rugonauth, w r ho then joined 

 him with a large portion of the men. " Here he is ! 

 Look at him ! I knew his cunning, but it couldn't 

 save him. The flower-pot reached him. / threw 

 it!" 



Even Rugonauth was obliged to admit that the 

 tiger had certainly eventually proved to be at home. 

 It was with but an ill grace, however, that he con- 

 fessed his aspersions were unmerited. 



As the day was young, the hunters proclaimed 

 their intention of beating any favourable places on 

 the chance of turning up something else ; full liberty 

 being allowed to fire at whatever might present 

 itself. 



