A TIGER SHOT FROM THE BOAT. 275 



With fewer hands for the work, we were a long time en- 

 gaged in separating the head from the trunk and stowing it 

 away in the boat, now deeper in the water than ever, and our 

 progress would have been slow had not the set of the ebb 

 helped us materially. Our only thought now was to get 

 back to the big boat before sunset, and after so much firing 

 there appeared no likelihood of further sport that day ; but 

 subsequent events proved that our good luck was not yet 

 exhausted. 



Within a mile of its mouth the creek widened consider- 

 ably, and the falling tide left on each bank some feet of 

 sloping mud-bank, on which a few rushes grew thinly. I 

 was on the look-out for a shot at a deer, as my men were 

 asking me to shoot them more venison, since they rarely 

 tasted such good meat, and to meet their wishes the " Ex- 

 press " was in my hands ready for instant use. At this 

 juncture a tiger was seen leisurely rising out of the water 

 a hundred yards on the right, and after shaking off the wet 

 from its coat like a monstrous Newfoundland dog, it stood for 

 a few moments among the sedges before it caught sight of the 

 boat, and glared angrily at the strange apparition. The range 

 had become short about sixty or seventy yards and the 

 target was large and stationary, so that the first bullet sped 

 true to the mark, and as the report of the rifle thundered 

 through the woods the tiger, rearing up on its hind legs, fell 

 over on its back, beating the air with its fore-paws, gnashing 

 its gruesome teeth, and emitting deep gurgling growls in the 

 agony of death. A second and a third bullet fired in rapid 

 succession made an end of the jungle king, a rather poor 

 specimen of royalty as to robes and portliness, for, though of 

 a fair length nine feet nine inches he was in low condition, 

 and had a pale yellow skin, on which the stripes, as well 

 as the ground-colour, were of dull tints, as if his Majesty 

 had not enjoyed the best of health for some time, and re- 

 quired a change of air and a beef diet. Having swam over 

 the creek, and being ^intent upon his toilet, this tiger had 

 allowed us to steal up to him within easy range, when some 



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