198 TIGER STARED OUT OF COUNTENANCE. 
me as if two tigers were growling at each other, but as 
there was no tree near available for climbing I was unable 
to reconnoitre. 
We commenced stalking round to get above where the 
growls came from, and were cautiously creeping up, when 
Francis suddenly touched me and pointed straight ahead, and 
there just above us in an open space stood the grand old tiger 
facing us, growling fiercely and showing his huge yellow 
teeth— *to fire would have been madness, though his broad 
chest offered a most tempting shot. Francis wanted me to 
fire, but I whispered, No. I felt if I showed the slightest fear 
or attempted to retreat he would be immediately upon us, so 
I tried what steadily staring at him w^ould do. For nearly 
two minutes we must have remained looking at each other, 1 
staring at him and he glaring and growling and showing his 
teeth, standing bolt upright all the time, and a grand huge 
monster he looked ; at last he crouched down and opened his 
eyes wide. I thought he was coming, but knew he could not 
spring direct from where he was, so if the worst came to the 
worst I could fire as he approached before his final spring ; but 
I still trusted to the power of the eye, and leaning forward 
glared at him with all my might ; it had the desired effect ; 
he slowly slunk away, and as he turned, his length looked 
enormous. He crouched so low that his body was almost 
hidden by the leaves ; waiting till he had had time to make 
himself scarce, I stole up to where he had been, when away 
he dashed with a growl and a roar not twenty yards from me ; 
1 could only see a mass of red, flash through the brush wood. 
Whilst looking about for the goat we heard him growling 
down in the ravine below us, and for a second or two I 
thought he was coming up towards us ; however, I was 
