266 A Sportswoman in India 



the sun. His long, slouching walk, suggestive of such 

 latent strength, betrayed the vast muscle working firmly 

 through the loose, glossy skin, which was clear red and 

 white, with its double stripes, and the W mark on the 

 head. 



The sight of such consummate power, as he swung 

 majestically along, licking his lips and his moustache 

 after his feed, was one of those things not soon to 

 be forgotten, and while it had a bracing effect on 

 the nerves, at the same time struck rather a chilling 

 sensation. 



The tiger moved on. I sat with my rifle at full 

 cock, but he went straight up to Captain F.'s tree, 

 looked up, saw him, gave a fierce growl, and then 

 stood still about ten yards off. A loud detonation 

 followed ; but Captain F. must have made a poor 

 shot he hit him behind, much too far back, the 

 bullet going down almost to his hock. The tiger 

 looked magnificent still he stood on a little knoll, 

 lashing his tail and looking vindictively up into the 

 tree. 



At one and the same moment Captain F. and 

 myself fired ; somehow or other we both missed him. 

 This was rather too much. In one moment, like 

 a flash, the tiger darted round, deliberately galloped 

 at the tree, sprang about half-way up into its lowest 

 branches, and, assisted by the natural oblique inclina- 

 tion of the trunk, swarmed up to the machdn as 

 quickly and easily as a cat. It was a terrible moment, 

 one of those of which we pray that they may be 



