Literature.

him ; " and the proceedings in preparing the ambush ivere several times interrupted by tokens of the proximity of the beasts , evinced by the shrill bark of the deer , and the chattering ancl hooting of the monkeys who watched the movements of their enemy from the tops of the adjacent trees . After tying a white calf in the path where the tiger came down from the mountain , and an anxious night spent in

camp , Captain Shakespeare started at dawn . Scarcely had they gone 200 yards when they heard the tiger ' s roar . " The poor villager , the father of the only remaining family , whispered , ' AVech hai!—that is he ! ' that is the tiger that owns my village !"

"Coming to some rocks from which I knew that the tied-up calf could be seen , ancl thinking that the shikaree might not have remembered the spot , I pulled him back cautiously . I looked . . There was the ivhite calf , apparently dead . Marykalee remarked as much in a whisper . The younger shikaree , Nursoo , was behind me on the left , We all gazed at a tail . The distance was some : sixty . yards from us , but we could not make out the tiger . At length the end of the tail moved . Ifursoomaking a similar motion with

, his fore-finger , whisqered in my ear , 'Doom-hilta-hai ! ' ( ' The tail's . moving ! ' ) I noiv made out the body of the animal clear enough . Not a blade of grass nor a leaf was between us . A single forest tree , without a branch on it for thirty feet from the ground , was twenty yards nearer the tiger . It was very probable that he ivould see us , but it must be risked ; so , pressing down my shikaree , Marykalee , with my hand behind me , and keeping the trunk of the

tree . between the foe and me , while I said within myself , . 'God be with me . If I get behind that tree , without your seeing me , you're a dead tiger . ' . I passed rapidly forward . So intent was the huge . beast iipon the poor calf , that he did not hear me . I placed the barrels of my rifle against the tree , but was obliged to wait . " , The tiger and the calf lay contiguous , tails on end to us . The calfs neck was in the tiger ' s mouth , ivhose large paws embraced his

victim . I looked , waiting for some change in the position of the body to alloiv me to aim at a vital part . "At length the calf gave a struggle , and kicked the tiger on which the latter clasped him nearer , arching his oivn body , and exposing the white of his belly ancl chest . I pulled the trigger very slowly , aiming at the ivhite , and firing for his heart—he was on his left side—as if I was firing afc an egg for a thousand pounds . " I knew that I hit the spot aimed at ; but , to my astonishment ,

the tiger sprang up several feet in the air , ivith a roar , rolled over , and towards me—for he was on higher ground than I was—when , bounding to his feet , as if unscathed , he made for the mountains , the last rock of ivhich ivas within forty yards of him . " I must acknowledge that , firing at a beast of this sort , with no vital part to aim at , standing as I ivas for some time looking at him ancl on lower ground , my heart beat rather quicker than was its wont . Albeit I had never turned my back to any animal in the

jungles , and not one had ever seen its shape . I ivas confident too , in my own nerve and shooting , for I had cut down with one exception—and that one had cut me clown as the scythe does , the grass —every wild beast of the forest . " Immediately the tiger sprang to his feet , ancl exposed his broad left side to me , I stepped from behind the tree , looked at him in the face with contempt , as if lie hacl been asheep ; and while he passed me with every hair sethis beautiful white beard ancl

, whiskers spread , and his eye like fire , with the left barrel I shot him through the heart . lie went straight , and at undiminished speed , each bound covering fifteen feet at least , for twenty-five yards , and then fell oh his head under the lowest rock of the mountain , in which was Ms stronghold . Up went in the air his thick stumpy tail . Seizing my other rifle , 1 walked up to about fifteen yards of him—for he was still opening his mouth and gaspingand broke his back . Turning round to the poor villager ivhonow

, the tiger was dead , was afraid to come near him , I patted him on the shoulder , and said , ' There is your enemy , old man ; now ! ivhere does the tigress live ? ' ' I know nothing about her , ' said the man , trembling all over ( and no wonder ) ; ' this was the owner of my village . I know nothing at all of fche tigress . She takes tlie water'at the other side of the village , ancl a long way off . " '

But the tiger ivas soon terribly avenged , for the next night , Avhen Captain Shakespeare ivas in camp , he says : — " I had scarcely been to sleep an hour , before I ivas awoke by shout from the duffadar , that one of the troopers ivas carried oft' by the tiger . I leaped out of bed , and seizing the large single two-ounce rifle , kept loaded with powder only for the purpose , I fired it oil' in the air . It was pitch dark ; nofc a bit of fire in the camp , save one or tivo embers near the spot were the trooper ivas seized , and over which the tigress hacl sprung on her victim . I got my clothes on us rapidly as possible , buckled on my sword , and seized one of my

rifles ; my younger shikaree , Nursso , took the other . My khidiimtgar , or table servant , a man by name . of Fakia Ahmed , got my candlestick and shade ; and the villagers , a number of whom hail remained in the i-illage , rushed down with torches into the camp . My shikaree Marykalee , could not at first be found . The diifiadnr told me in which direction the tigress had gone . He hacl been standing within five paces of the man—in fact , he was seeing the sentry changed . The poor fellow who ivas seized whilst putting on

his belt to go on duty . There was a dry ravine , without any jungle in it , ivhich ran up to the camp . The tigress hacl stolen up that , and sprung on the man ' s chest , seizing him by the mouth , and so systematically closing it that the poor fellow could never reply to his name . I shouted it—Gholain Hoossain Khan—till I ivas hoarse . Springing into the ravine , I followed ifc up rapidly , thinking that the only chance of recovering the man was to get up to the foot of the mountainsome five hundred yards distantbefore she could

, , carry him there . I heard one sigh , and followed in that direction . In vain ! AVe returned . It was ten minutes to twelve , the moon j ust rising . There was a faint hope that the poor fellow had . been dropped , and hacl climbed up a tree , but was afraid to answer . " I returned to bed , but could not sleep . The tragedy of the night was not to be forgotten so suddenly ; and at about three o'clock in the morning I again heard a hooting of the large monkeys . Shortly after I heard an extraordinary noise , ivhich I could not

make out at first . I questioned the sentry . He replied that it was the lungoor ( the monkeys ) , hut I made out the tigress growl , and the crunching of the poor trooper's bones . It was no use any more risking life in the dark , besides , the tragedy was most probably being finished in the mountain above , Avhere . human foot could scarcely climb , even in the clay time . At daylight we started Jfo nice tracking was required . The tigress had dragged the body of the trooper across the deep sandy ravine , and there were his sword-belt , his turban , trousers , and other parts of his dress , in each bush .

"Putting the villagers on this track , which they could not fail to follow , I asked , ' On what mountain path can 1 interrupt the tigress ? ' The mokasse , turning to one of the villagers , said , ' Take the sahib to the water , a spot where she has killed ancl broken up four or five people . ' I started , and mounted the first ledge of rocks , in the hopes of catching her before her return , but in vain . After waiting some time , I went towards the spot where I had left the others ; ancl , seeing some crows on the tree , came up

to the place where lay the body of the poor trooper , at the same that time the duffaclar ancl villagers found it . She hacl eaten off one of his legs only , up to the knee . AVe had passed within fifteen yards of the body in the night . "

Such an audacious murder coulcl not be passed OA'er Avithout inflicting retributive justice , and our author prepared for vengeance by laying bait for the tigress , and making the following preparations — " I placed my two heavy rifles before me , telling my shikarees that I would not touch them until she came right under us , when I ivould break her back with a single ball . On uo account were they

to touch my arm , or move . The unfortunate father of a family : the wine-maker , stood behind us , with his eyes always directed to the mountain paths . AA'e had scarcely sat half an hour , when clown came the tigress ivith her stealthy walk . Evidently she was of the same kind as the male ; short and thick—the regular mountain tiger —her tail did not touch the ground . She was the smallest tigress , for a full-grown one , I have ever seen . My blood boiled within me

as I thought that such a small beast should have killed and carried off my poor trooper ; and have no hesitation in saying that if I had found her in the plain ivhen I ivas riding one of my tried hunters , I would have gone at her with the spear . There was some excuse for the big lusty male , with his broken teeth , killing men ; but for this active fiend , made like a panther , and not much larger than one I have killed—for her to take to man-slaying was unpardonable . " The reason of her not having kept the sandravine ivas now

y evident enough . She was not large and strong enough to drag the man , except on the hard ground ; so , when pursued , she had dragged him along the bank , ancl within a few yards of the ravine ; the easiest way to the spot afc the foot of the hill , where she hacl afterwards come to eat him . In front of us there was the ravine , which she dropped into , crossed , ancl then fixed her gaze at the bush under which she had left the man ' s body . She kept gliding along till she behind forest tree

came a large , about sixty yards from us . I had tied another calf on the clear space before us , in the hopes that , having had but a slight meal , and under the disappointment of not finding the man ' s body , she ivould fall on this calf . The latter stood paralysed under the gaze of the tigress , and never moved . He ivas mesmerised , so to say , though he continued standing . " The tigress , by degrees , brought one eye , and then both , round the side of the large tree , and fixed them on me ; and thus wc looked at one another for afc least twentv minutes . What would I not