ying to escape the points that
pierced him. He was suffering fearfully; and Captain Ringgold shot him at
once, though the Hindus were delighted by his torture.

Another kind of trap was more ingenious. It was on the plan of the
twitch-up snare, common in New England. A young tree, very strong and
flexible, is bent down till the upper end touches the ground. To this
extremity is attached a stout cord, and fastened to a stake in the ground.
A slip-noose is so arranged that the tiger thrusts his head through it in
order to reach the meat with which the cord holding the tree is baited. As
the animal pulls the cord he casts off the line holding the tree in its
bent position. The slip-noose is tightened around his neck, the tree flies
up into the air, carrying the tiger with it. Everything about the trap is
made very strong, and there the savage marauder hangs till he chokes to
death.

[Illustration: Captain Ringgold brought down another--Page 349]

The party moved on, and they had not gone ten rods before a cobra elevated
his head. Felix claimed the right to fire first, and he killed him with one
ball. A large python was Scott's first prize; and, after a long walk, they
came to a nest of tigers, as it seemed, for there were not less than five
of them drinking at a brook. It appeared to be the only place in the
vicinity where fresh water could be obtained. The first of the tigers was
killed by Louis with a single shot, for he put the ball through the eye of
the beast.

Captain Ringgold brought down another with three shots from his repeating
rifle. Felix did not care for tigers; he was looking for snakes, and they
came to the brook to drink. In a couple of hours he had half a dozen of his
favorite game. He declared that he was following the blessed example of St.
Patrick, and if he did not die too soon he would rid the world of all the
snakes in it.

The five tigers lay dead by the brook; and, taking the advice of the
coolies, the hunters returned into a thicket, where Felix killed another
python. The party could see the brook. A pair of timid deer came next to
drink; but they fled at the approach of what seemed to be a family of
leopards, for two of them were evidently cubs. They were all shot; but the
repeated reports of the rifles had probably scared off others, and no more
beasts of any kind came.

"These men say you have killed more tigers and leopards than any party of
hunters who ever came here," said Sir Modava,