MILITA RY AD VENTURES. 305 



and I heard him sniffing all round the 

 palanquin : feeling sure it was a tiger, I 

 congratulated myself on having closed the 

 doors, but I knew they would only be a 

 very small protection when he had warmed 

 himself up to his work. He crept round 

 several times, sniffing all the while, and 

 each sniff seemed to me to be louder and 

 more determined than the last ; and then 

 I heard a sharp scratch against the side of 

 the palanquin, when I knew at once that 

 he meant business. 



The moon now shewed herself slightly, 

 and, contriving to peep through a crack 

 in the panel of my conveyance, I saw, as I 

 had feared, a very large tiger a little way off, 

 crouched on the ground, his eyes flashing 

 like fire and firmly fixed on my unfortunate 

 palanquin. I knew the decided moment 

 for action was come, so, opening the far 



