VII 
THE TIGER 
271 
bush called karoonda. Exactly to the right, upon 
the edge of this opaque screen, there was an open 
space about 9 or 10 feet wide, where a large rotten 
tree had been blown down ; and should the tiger 
continue its present course it would pass the kar¬ 
oonda bush and cross over the clear opening. I 
resolved to wait; therefore, resting my left elbow 
upon my knee, I covered the shoulder of the uncon¬ 
scious tiger, and followed it with the *577 rifle 
carefully, resolved to exorcise the devil that had for 
so long protected it. 
The shouts of the beaters were now heard dis¬ 
tinctly, and the loud tom-tom sounded cheerfully 
as the line approached. Several times the tiger 
stopped, and turned its head to listen; then it dis¬ 
appeared from view behind the dense screen of the 
karoonda bush. 
I lowered the rifle, to rest my arm for a moment. 
So long a time elapsed, that I was afraid the tiger 
had turned straight up the hill in a direct line with 
the bush, and thus lost to sight; I had almost come 
to this sad conclusion, when a magnificent head pro¬ 
jected from the dark green bush into the bright 
light of the open space. For quite 15 seconds the 
animal thus stood with only the head exposed to 
view, turned half-way round to listen. I felt quite 
sure that I could have put a bullet through its 
brain; but I waited. Presently it emerged, a 
splendid form, and walked slowly across the open 
space. At the same moment as I touched the 
trigger, the tiger reared to its full height upon its 
