THE TIGKESS IN SIGHT. 135 



his grey moustaches drooped more, and his thin goat's beard 

 lost all the little curl it had ever boasted ; Doolap became 

 silent and morose, and my heart sank with hope so long 

 deferred ; but reluctance to admit discomfiture, and the en- 

 treaties of the people that I should remain to prosecute the 

 adventure, combined to prevent my departure; and very 

 thankful I was afterwards that I had so persevered. 



The thirteenth afternoon after our first coming found us, 

 gun in hand, slowly tracking from the open fields to the 

 river-side jungle, and then up along it to the spot at which 

 we had turned homewards on the day the people coming 

 from market had been struck down, and there we rested 

 under the shade of a tree, and took some refreshments 

 brought in baskets by porters who had followed us at a dis- 

 tance in the open ground. One of the coolies remarking 

 that this being a market day, the tigress might possibly 

 be then on the watch close to the path followed by those 

 returning from it, the idea struck us at once as not only 

 possible but highly probable ; accordingly the baskets were 

 quickly repacked and sent off into the open, while I and 

 the two " Shikarees " struck the outskirts of the jungle, 

 and cautiously advanced step by step, every sense at its 

 utmost stretch. 



Thus we had gone half a mile, taking fully half an hour, 

 and had gained a point from which, under concealment of 

 thick-leaved bushes, we could command a view of the jungle- 

 side, as well as over the plain, and there we stood silently for 

 some minutes. Suddenly, as I looked ahead, something indis- 

 tinct on the very edge of the covert caught my eye, and 

 made my heart bound and my blood tingle with excitement. 

 A slight motion of my hand made both my companions as 

 watchful as myself, and at the same instant of time we all 

 three saw the head and neck of a tiger protruding from the 

 jungle a hundred and fifty paces ahead ; the ears now pricked, 

 now laid back, the mouth half open, the lower jaw drooping, 

 and the head as motionless as if made of stone, the ears only 

 excepted ; our tigress at last ! 



