n the ruddy gold of late afternoon.

Skag was silent, the magic of the moment flowing into him. Nels had
not moved. Skag had been forced to walk round him to find room to
stand. They faced the big Bengali together for an instant, the man's
hand dropping softly to the dog's shoulder.

"The king himself, son," Skag whispered raptly. "He's the loveliest
thing in stripes. We'll have to look out for this fellow, Nels.
There's no fear in him. We're on his premises and the missus is sick
and needs quiet. He's apt to charge, and I can see his point of view.
We'll back down, son, and not obstruct the gentleman's door."

They couldn't have been three seconds clambering down the rocks to the
nullah bed, yet the male tiger was twenty feet nearer when they looked
up. Moreover, he had brought the lamb with him, and this time he kept
it in his mouth as he watched.

"We mustn't let him see our dark side again, Nels," Skag muttered.
"See if we can't stare as straight as he does. God, what a picture!
Yet I'm rather glad he's got that lamb. He must have brought it far.
Carrying out her orders doubtless. Only a great male would do that.
Oh, it's not that he cares for the babies, Nels. It's to please her
that he does it! And she's down and done, but running the lair!"

So Skag talked, hardly knowing what he said, keeping in touch with Nels
with his hand and holding the eyes of the royal beast that seemed to be
made of patience and poise and gilded beauty. Skag didn't step back,
but presently to the side, away from the mouth of the lair. The
tiger's counter movement was not to lessen the distance between them
this time, but to drop to his haunches, still holding his game. He
rocked a little on his hind feet, that ominous undulation which
portends the charge. Not more than ten seconds passed and no outward
change was apparent, yet there was a relief of tension in Skag's voice.

"It's the little lamb that saved us that time, Nels. I think we've
passed it--passed the crisis, my boy. We'll just stand by now and
measure patience with him."

It was two minutes before Skag ventured a further movement to the
right. The tiger made absolutely no counter this time. Skag now spoke
to Nels:

"You're doing beautifully, son."

The dog had stood by like part of himself. The droop and the quiver
that he had known twice that day when the man disappeared into the lair
had given way in the real test to unbreakable nerve and defia