218 SINGULAR MODE OF HUNTING THE TIGER. 



beauty of the scene to the perils of my situation. Sud- 

 denly a roar swelled on the air, and then died in awful 

 echoes among the hills, the cow stood as if almost breath- 

 less with fear, and I grasped one of my rifles, and rested 

 it on the side of the little window. Thus I watched for 

 about half an hour ; but no tiger appeared ; and, as the 

 cow laid down, as if her fears were quieted, I did the same. 

 I had fallen into a doze, when the cow struggling on her 

 legs and a groan brought me to my feet. There they 

 were a large tiger holding the poor cow behind the ears, 

 shaking her like a fighting dog. I ran out the muzzle of 

 my rifle as quietly as I could, and then I saw the tiger leap 

 over the shuddering cow, without quitting his grip. She 

 sank to the earth ; and he lifted her up again. At the 

 first opportunity I pulled the trigger. The left hand 

 missed.- I tried the right Bang ! The tiger relinquished 

 his hold and was off with a bound. The cow staggered 

 and struggled, and in a few seconds fell, and with a heavy 

 groan, ceased to move. The fact then stared me in the 

 face. The tiger had killed the cow within a few feet of 

 me and escaped uninjured." 



When the story was interpreted to the patriarch, he 

 laughed loudly, and uttered some expressions of encourage- 

 ment for a patient renewal of the trial. I was sorry for 

 my friend's disappointment. He seemed to feel it deeply. 

 However, he readily assented to my taking his place the 



