ring out from the jungle at us. But here we are.
That is the nullah in which they say the tiger retires at night. I
expect the beaters are lying all round in readiness, and as soon as we
have taken up our station at its mouth they will begin."

A shikari came up as they approached the spot.

"The tiger went out last night, sahib, and finished the cow; he came
back before daylight, and the beaters are all in readiness to begin."

The elephants were soon in position at the mouth of the ravine, which
was some thirty yards across. At about the same distance in front of
them the jungle of high, coarse grass and thick bush began.

"If you were going to shoot, Bathurst, we would take post one each side,
but as you are not going to I will place myself nearly in the center,
and if you are between me and the rocks the tiger is pretty certain to
go on the other side, as it will seem the most open to him. Now we are
ready," he said to the shikari.

The latter waved a white rag on the top of a long stick, and at the
signal a tremendous hubbub of gongs and tom toms, mingled with the
shouts of numbers of the men, arose. The Doctor looked across at
his companion. His face was white and set, his muscles twitched
convulsively; he was looking straight in front of him, his teeth set
hard.

"An interesting case," the Doctor muttered to himself, "if it had been
anyone else than Bathurst. I expect the tiger will be some little time
before it is down. Bathurst," he said, in a quiet voice. Three times
he repeated the observation, each time raising his voice higher, before
Bathurst heard him.

"The sooner it comes the better," Bathurst said, between his teeth. "I
would rather face a hundred tigers than this infernal din."

A quarter of an hour passed, and the Doctor, rifle in hand, was watching
the bushes in front when he saw a slight movement among the leaves on
his right, the side on which Bathurst was stationed.

"That's him, Bathurst; he has headed back; he caught sight of either
your elephant or mine; he will make a bolt in another minute now unless
he turns back on the beaters."

A minute later there was a gleam of tawny yellow among the long grass,
and quick as thought the Doctor fired. With a sharp snarl the tiger
leaped out, and with two short bounds sprang onto the head of the
elephant ridden by Bathurst. The mahout gave a cry of pain, for the
talons of one of the forepaws were fixed in his leg. Bathurst leaned
forward and