“KILLING A MAN-EATER” 175 
Coming opposite the tree where we had shot at 
the tiger, and under a patch of heavy undergrowth, 
against a large boulder, we both saw it. Seeing 
the elephant it gave a coughing roar, and as it did 
I let go, catching it fair in the eye. Ali had his 
spear poised ready to throw, but the man-eater. 
slumped down and to make sure I put another ex- 
plosive bullet in its side as it lay. I called to the 
Tungku we had got it. I will not try, for I could 
not adequately describe the scene which followed 
when the men knew their foe had been killed; shout- 
ing, yelling, dancing, they went wild. Runners 
started off at once racing back to the kampong to 
tell the news and have the women make ready a 
feast. The return to the kampong was like a royal 
procession. The Tungku and I on the elephant led 
the way, the men carrying the dead tiger, singing 
and laughing, calling the dead animal all manner 
of names. There was great feasting that night; it 
was made hideous with the singing and beating of 
tom-toms, and, although dead tired from lack of 
rest, sleep was impossible. In the morning the 
Tungku did a most astonishing thing; nothing of 
the kind had ever been known to the oldest subject; 
he set free five of his debt slaves. 
On examination I found that the first time we 
fired at her, while behind the trees, as she leapt back 
from the shot Ali had fired, I had caught her in the 
flank, smashing the hind leg, and with all her suf- 
