cts in the gloom, but
suddenly two small circles glittered with a greenish light and the
purring was succeeded by a low, cavernous growl. Then it all became
clear to him: a royal Bengal tiger was stealing upon the boat and was
probably gathering himself for a leap at that very moment.

Had all the occupants been asleep the frightful terror would have
played sad havoc with them before they could defend themselves. As it
was, it looked as if more than one fatality must follow his attack.

But for that phosphorescent gleam of the brute's eyes Jack Everson
would not have been able to locate him, but the glow of the two objects
defined the outlines and locality of the horrible thing as unmistakably
as if the sun were overhead. The occasion was one in which everything
depended upon promptness. The tiger was likely to shift his position
and turn his head so that the eyes would fail to show.

Jack reflected that there probably were a number of spots in the
anatomy of the jungle terror that were more vulnerable than others;
that a well-aimed bullet might be instantly fatal in one, while able to
inflict only a partial wound in another. Be that as it may, he was
sure that a conical bullet driven between the eyes and through bone,
muscle and brain by a rifle that could kill a man at the distance of a
mile must do effective work when that brain was not a dozen feet
distant from the muzzle of the weapon. At any rate, there was no time
for inquiry and he did not hesitate.

Aiming for a point midway between the gleaming orbs he pressed the
trigger. It takes a well-aimed weapon to kill a royal Bengal tiger,
even at a short distance, but Jack's rifle was well aimed. The tiny
sphere of lead darted through the brain and along the spinal marrow as
if fired with the vicious energy of a charge of dynamite.

It so happened that the tiger was in the act of making his graceful but
fearful leap that was to land him upon the breast of the young man, who
had risen to his feet just before firing. The check at that instant
produced a queer result, the like of which is not often seen. The
shock of the bullet crashing into the head of the muscular beast at the
instant he was calling into play his prodigious strength intensified
that strength to a sudden and astonishing degree. The consequence was
that the tiger, instead of making the leap he intended, made one twice
as great and overshot the mark. From out the gloom the beautiful
sinew