40 
SCENES IN INDIA. 
leaped into the hollow, at the same time uttering 
a shrill cry in order to arouse his enemy from its 
slumbers. Upon seeing its resolute aggressor slowly 
advance, the animal raised itself upon its fore legs 
with a terrific howl. As the little Hindoo continued 
to approach, which he did slowly, and with his dark 
eyes keenly fixed upon the face of his formidable foe, 
the tiger rose to its full height, and began to lash its 
sides furiously with its tail, yet it evidently appeared 
to be in a state of embarrassment. Still the man 
advanced deliberately but undauntedly ; the uneasi- 
ness and rage of the excited beast increased with 
every step ; at length it crouched, evidently with a 
determination to make its terrific spring. The man 
suddenly stopped, when the tiger paused, turned up 
its head, and, uttering a horrible noise between a 
snarl and a howl, made one step forward, and sprang 
towards its victim, who instantly bent his body, 
received the animal’s paws upon his shield, dashed 
the knife into its body, and fell under, but almost 
entirely beyond the extremities of, his wounded enemy. 
The creature turned upon its back ; the little Hindoo 
regained his feet in an instant, striking the prostrate 
tiger with astonishing quickness and precision a de- 
sperate blow upon the throat, which completely severed 
the windpipe, at the same moment springing, with the 
quickness of thought, beyond the reach of the mon- 
ster’s claws. The tiger died almost immediately. 
When assured that it was positively past doing any 
more mischief — for it had done much in its time — 
we descended into the nullah. The gash in the ani- 
mal’s body was terrific. The lower region of the heart 
