A tiger will crouch up in an exceedingly small
clump of grass or bush, and will sometimes almost allow himself
to be trodden on before moving. However, we determined to have one
more search, and if that should prove unsuccessful, to send off
to Jubbalpore for some more of the men to come out with elephants,
while we kept up a circle of fires, and of noises of all descriptions,
so as to keep him a prisoner until the arrival of the reinforcements.
Our next search was no more successful than our first had been; and
having, as we imagined, examined every clump and crevice in which
he could have been concealed, we had just reached the upper end of
the ravine, when we heard a tremendous roar, followed by a perfect
babel of yells and screams from the natives.
"The outburst came from the mouth of the ravine, and we felt at once
that he had escaped. We hurried back to find, as we had expected,
that the tiger was gone. He had burst out suddenly from his hiding
place, had seized a native, torn him horribly, and had made across
the open plain.
"This was terribly provoking, but we had nothing to do but follow
him. This was easy enough, and we traced him to a detached patch
of wood and jungle, two miles distant. This wood was four or five
hundred yards across, and the exclamations of the people at once
told us that it was the one in which stood the ruined temple of
the fakir of whom I have been telling you.
Pages:
189
190
191
192
193
194
195
196
197
198
199
200
201
202
203
204
205
206
207
208
209
210
211
212
213