from the
tiger. One of the balls which he had fired had entered the tiger's
neck, the other had broken one of its forelegs, and Charlie had been
knocked down by the weight of the animal, not by the blow of its
formidable paw.

Hossein had sprung forward on the instant, and with one blow of his
sharp tulwar, had shorn clear through skin and muscle and bone, and
had almost severed the tiger's head from its body. It was the weight
upon him which had crushed Charlie into a state of insensibility. Here
he had lain, for four or five minutes, before Hossein could get the
frightened natives to return, and assist him to lift the great carcass
from his master's body.

Upon examination, it was found that two of the three bullets first
fired had taken effect. One had broken the tiger's shoulder, and
lodged in his body. The other had struck him fairly on the chest, and
had passed within an inch or two of his heart.

"I thought," Ramajee Punt said, as he viewed the body, "that one of
his legs must have been rendered useless. That was why he lay quiet so
long, in spite of our efforts to turn him out."

Charlie was too much hurt to walk, and a litter was speedily formed,
and he was carried back to the camp, where his arrival in that state
excited the most lively lamentations on the part of Tim. The next
morning he was much recovered; and was able, in the cool of the
evening, to take his place in a howdah, and to return to the camp
before Gheriah.

A few days later the fleet made its appearance off the town, and the
same evening Tulagi Angria rode up to Ramajee Punt's camp. Charlie was
present at the interview, at which Angria endeavoured to prevail on
Ramajee Punt, and Charlie, to accept a large ransom for his fort;
offering them each great presents, if they would do their utmost to
prevail on Admiral Watson, and Colonel Clive, to agree to accept it.

Charlie said at once that he was sure it was useless, that the English
had now made a great effort to put a stop to the ravages which he, and
his father before him, had for so many years inflicted upon their
commerce; and that he was sure that nothing, short of the total
destruction of the fort and fleet, would satisfy them. The meeting
then broke up; and Charlie, supposing that Angria would return
immediately, went back to his tent; where he directed Hossein at once
to mingle with the men who had accompanied Angria, and to find out
anything that he could concerning the state of t