. Accordingly, at the time appointed, we
mounted our elephant; and having a formidable array of guns handed up to
us, we started.

"As my companion, and, indeed, every one else concerned in the matter,
evidently considered it completely as a party of pleasure, and seemed
prepared to enjoy themselves to the utmost, I endeavoured to persuade
myself that I did so too; and, consoled by the reflection that if the
tiger had positively eaten half a bullock yesterday afternoon, it never
could be worth his while to scale our elephant, and run the risk of
being shot, for the sake of devouring me, I felt rather bold than
otherwise. After proceeding for some distance through the jungle, and
rousing, as it seemed to me, every beast that had come out of Noah's
Ark, except a tiger, our elephant, who had hitherto conducted himself
in a very quiet and gentlemanly manner, suddenly raised his trunk and
trumpeted several times--a sure sign, as the mahout informed us, that a
tiger was somewhere close at hand.

"'Now then, Frampton,' cried my companion, cocking his double-barrel,
'look out!'

"'For squalls,' returned I, finishing the sentence for him.--'Pray, is
there any particular part they like to be shot in? whereabouts shall I
aim?'

"'Wherever you can,' replied Slingsby; 'be ready--there he is, by
Jupiter!' and, as he spoke, the long grass about a hundred yards in
front of us was gently agitated, and I caught a glimpse of what appeared
a yellow and black streak, moving swiftly away in an opposite direction.
--'Tally ho!' shouted Slingsby, saluting the tiger with both barrels. An
angry roar proved that the shots had taken effect, and in another moment
a large tiger, lashing his sides with his tail and his eyes glaring with
rage, came bounding towards us.

"'Now what's to be done?' exclaimed I--'if you had but left him alone,
he was going away as quietly as possible.'

"Slingsby's only reply was a smile, and seizing another gun, he fired
again. On receiving this shot the tiger stopped for a moment, and then,
with a tremendous bound, sprang towards us, alighting at the foot of a
small tree not a yard from the elephant's head.

~238~~"'That last shot crippled him,' said my companion, 'or we should
have had the pleasure of his nearer acquaintance--now for the _coup
de grace_--fire away!' and as he spoke he leaned forward to take a
deliberate aim, when suddenly the front of the howdah gave way, and to
my horror Slingsby was precipit