of the Old World. 83 



Everything promised well ; we were all ready with 

 our arms, and waited with impatience for the appear- 

 ance of the tigers. 



The devouring element had burnt half through the 

 patch; still we could perceive no signs of their 

 presence, or, indeed, any movement in the grass. 

 The fire roared and crackled like the file-firing of 

 musketry, dark and dense volumes of smoke rose in a 

 huge column against the cloudless sky, and I began 

 to be afraid that the beaters had been mistaken in 

 supposing the brute to have taken refuge in the 

 cover, when suddenly the air resounded with a fear- 

 ful roar, and immediately a magnificent tigress and 

 a half-grown cub sprang into the sandy bed of the 

 nullah, from a place close to where the fire had 

 reached. I heard a simultaneous discharge of half-a- 

 dozen shots, and through the smoke I just discerned 

 the brute make a second spring, which was imme- 

 diately followed by a piercing yell. I knew that some 

 calamity had taken place, and sprang forward just in 

 time to see the infuriated brute tear away the flesh 

 from the thigh to the knee of W 's poor horse- 

 keeper, who was lying motionless. The tigress, who 

 appeared wounded, was stretched half-leaning over 

 her victim ; she turned her head as I approached, 

 and couched, as if to make a spring ; I raised my 

 rifle slowly, fearing to injure the poor fellow, and 

 then let drive. The ball went crashing into her 



G 2 



