the monster, when
some slight sound I made caused it to spring up, presenting its striped
flank for a target as it gazed here and there.

Play as it was, it was all intensely real to me; and in those moments I
was as full of excitement as if I had been in some distant land and in
peril of my life.

Then, after long and careful aim, twang went the bow, and to my intense
delight the soft-headed arrow struck the monster full in the flank,
making it bound up a couple of feet and then pounce upon the bolt, and
canter off at full speed towards a dense thicket of scarlet-runners.

"Victory, victory!" I cried excitedly; "wounded, wounded!" and I set
off in chase, but approaching cautiously and preparing my bow again, for
I had read that the tiger was most dangerous when in the throes of
death.

I forget what I called the scarlet-runner thicket, but by some eastern
name, and drawing nearer I found an opportunity for another shot, which
missed.

Away bounded Buzzy, evidently enjoying the fun, and I after him, to find
him at bay beneath a currant bush.

I was a dozen yards away in the central path, and, of course, in full
view of the upper windows of the house; but if I had noted that fact
then, I was so far gone in the romance of the situation that I daresay I
should have called the house the rajah's palace. As it was I had
forgotten its very existence in the excitement of the chase.

"This time, monster, thou shalt die," I cried, as I once more fired,
making Buzzy leap into the path, and then out of sight amongst the
cabbages.

"Hurray! hurray!" I shouted, waving my crossbow above my head, "the
monster is slain! the monster is slain!"

There was a piercing shriek behind me, and I turned, bow in hand, to
find myself face to face with my aunt.

CHAPTER THREE.

HOW I HUNTED THE LION IN NO-MAN'S-LAND AND WHAT FOLLOWED.

My aunt's cry brought out Uncle Joseph in a terrible state of
excitement, and it was not until after a long chase and Buzzy was caught
that she could be made to believe that he had not received a mortal
wound. And a tremendous chase it was, for the more Uncle Joseph and I
tried to circumvent that cat, the more he threw himself into the fun of
the hunt and dodged us, running up trees like a squirrel, leaping down
with his tail swollen to four times its usual size, and going over the
beds in graceful bounds, till Uncle Joseph sat down to pant and wipe his
face while I continued the chase; but al