312 The Hunting Grounds 



with broad-spreading antlers came forcing his way 

 through the tangled brushwood, and stood before us 

 in bold relief. I threw up my rifle, brought the 

 sight to bear upon his shoulder, and was just about to 

 pull trigger when a huge monster of a tiger sprang 

 from the very bush that Googooloo had been so 

 attentively watching, and fastened upon his shoulder 

 with a low growl. Like a flash of lightning, my 

 trusty rifle belched forth its deadly contents right 

 and left: a roar, a smothered whine, followed the 

 double report, and the stricken brute rolling over and 

 over, was gasping in its last agonies. A convulsive 

 movement was succeeded by a stifled groan, a moaning 

 cry, a bubbling sound, and all was still. 



"What have you killed, Hal?" cried B , 



awakened by the shots, and cocking his rifle. " Ha ! 

 ha ! I see a fine pair of horns too but he is not 

 dead," he continued, raising his piece and putting an 

 end to the poor buck, who was still struggling on the 

 spot where he had been struck down. 



" Look a little to the right, Ned, under the shade 

 of the bush," replied I, " and you will see the result 

 of my shots he felled the deer." 



" A yaller hair, by the powers I" exclaimed B . 



" Well, you are in luck ; but it serves me right for 

 not believing in the Yanadi's warning." 



'Yes, Googooloo was not mistaken, for the tiger 

 must have been lying in wait in that bush for some 



