A STALKING TIGEE. -115 



with a savage grunt, the tiger turned and made 

 off. 



Nothing was now seen of him for some short 

 time, till Hawkes viewed him in the jungle, but out 

 of all reasonable range. Suddenly, to his horror, he 

 saw the tiger drop on its belly and creep rapidly 

 towards a clump of beaters. A few frantic shouts 

 warned the unsuspicious men of their danger. 

 Kunning, they knew would have been useless, and 

 only drawn on themselves the tiger's last furious 

 rush. Fortunately the party was pretty strong in 

 numbers, and stuck well together, whacking the 

 bushes before them, and shouting vigorously. 

 Seeing the determined, unyielding front presented 

 by its enemies, the tiger thought better of his inten- 

 tion, and desisted from the threatened attack. But 

 not entirely scatheless did the party emerge from 

 the peril. The tim-tim wallah a little fellow who 

 had played a very conspicuous as well as noisy part 

 in the performance was so overcome with his own 

 strenuous exertions and fright at the magnitude and 

 proximity of the danger, that he rolled head over 

 heels into the bed of a nullah, with some injury to 

 his person. 



Kugonauth had now collected the beaters into 

 one body, and Roopur leaving them, came round to 

 the knoll on which he saw Norman standing. 



