2o6 
HE LOOKED TUK WRONG WAV. 
devouring them with great avidity, the natural guardians 
apparently looking on at the proceedings of the great robber 
most apathetically. From this I concluded that the hornets 
came to feed on the maggots which had become pretty 
plentiful in the carcass of the bison. After I had been some 
time on my perch one of those ichneumons, or whatever they 
are, pjissed under the tree. I could not get a good sight of it 
from the branches. It was about twelve o'clock, and I was 
getting hungry and thinking of tiffin, when I suddenly spied 
the form of the tiger swiftly approaching the carcass. His 
quick ear immediately caught the sound of cocking the rifle, 
and he stood to listen looking the other way ; he was partly 
hidden by bamboos, but his shoulder was quite clear, and^ 
he was not above twenty- five to thirty yards off, so I took a 
steady shot with Ross, to catch him just behind the shoulder. 
At the report I found myself flying through' the air, lighting 
on my feet at the foot of the ladder, the recoil having 
knocked me off my perch. I had heard no roar. In an 
instant I was up the ladder again. No tiger was to be seen. 
I loaded and went up to the spot ; there were the marks of 
his paws as he had sprung away, and oh 1 with what a sinking 
heart I beheld the ground all grooved up by my bullet I 
was revived a little when Atley said, after examining the 
spotj that the ball mtisi have passed through the tiger, and 
was much excited when on the other side of the nullah I 
found a leaf sprinkled with blood. Cautiously we followed up 
the track, and I found the ladder of great use, as by mount 
ing it occasionally I could reconnoitre the whole ground in 
front. He bled very little, and after about two hundred 
yards we came to a complete check. After looking about 
for some time Atley suddenly exclaimed, " He's dead ! " 
