UNWILLING TO BREAK. 413 



beaters perseveringly worked through the jungle 

 without anything being discovered. At last some 

 of them came upon his lair, now vacated, but 

 showing undoubted signs of having been very 

 recently tenanted ; so that there could be no doubt 

 the beast was sneaking somewhere in the vicinity. 

 This fact was soon proclaimed, and raised the 

 drooping spirits of the hunters. 



Another quarter of an hour passed, and still the 

 cunning animal had not as yet rendered himself 

 visible to any one. Hawkes was the first to get a 

 view. Eoopur had been very earnest in impressing 

 on the sportsmen the necessity of remaining per- 

 fectly quiet and silent, or the tiger would never 

 show. Hawkes had acted religiously on this advice, 

 and now reaped the benefit of it. Though his 

 throat was husky, and one leg cramped from being 

 so long in an uncomfortable position, he had braced 

 himself to endure all, so long as there was a chance 

 of a visit from the wily enemy. 



Turning from glancing towards Norman, who 

 was nearest to him, he let his gaze fall on a nullah, 

 one of the ways of exit over which he was stationed 

 to keep guard. Looking in the direction of his 

 tree, there was the tiger, or rather its face, for that 

 was all he could see of it. It was evidently endea- 

 vouring to make out if all was clear in front, at 



