I 

 EFFECTS OK TH?] SHOT. 37 



reload the gun, which I dropped silently upon 

 my knee. In all probability this saved us, 

 for tlie tigress, as it turned out, was only 

 shot through the hind quarters, and lay 

 within a few feet ; for not being much 

 higher from the ground than herself, she 

 might, if so inclined, have pulled us out of 

 the bush, without any difficulty. The 

 breathing and a few moans, which led me to 

 hope the animal was dying, continued for 

 some time, but although so near, nothing 

 was to be seen, and I was not at all sorry 

 when I heard her crawling slowly away, and 

 all became again quiet. 



" I now breathed freely, reloaded the gun, 

 and listened attentively for some time ; 

 hearing nothing, I concluded she was either 

 dead, or had crawled away mortally 

 wounded, to die at some distance from the 

 spot, as most animals will do. We kept 

 still, however, till the moon had risen on the 

 opposite hill-side, and sufficient light was 

 shed to enable us to distinguish objects near, 

 but nothing was to be seen. After looking 



