ell long on
the day's adventures. The beaters had for some time been hallooing and
shouting on either side, when, just as the Englishmen's elephant was
twenty yards or so from the edge of the jungle, a huge tiger made its
appearance. With one bound, before they had time to take aim, it fixed
its powerful claws in the creature's neck, barely missing the mahout.
The elephant, with a roar, turned round and dashed off, holding his
trunk in the air. The tiger was now preparing to make a spring into the
howdah, when Reginald and Burnett both firing, it dropped wounded on the
ground, the elephant putting its huge foot upon it to squeeze out any
remnant of life it might retain. Two more tigers were killed, one of
which sprang out in the same way as the first; while a third, though
wounded, stole off through the jungle.

"Tiger-shooting from the back of an elephant is but slow work, after
all," exclaimed Burnett the next morning, as they were breakfasting in
the house of the chief man of the village, where they had slept. "I
propose that we try what we can do on foot. The shikaree wallah we
spoke to last night seems a bold fellow, and will show us some sport.
What do you say?"

"With all my heart," answered Reginald. "Our host has some good-looking
horses, and as he will be proud of mounting us, I would rather ride to
the jungle than have to sit on the back of a lumbering elephant."

Their host at once expressed his readiness to furnish the sportsmen with
steeds; and in a short time they set forth towards a part of the jungle
in which the shikaree assured them that numberless tigers were to be
found.

Reginald was in better spirits than he had been since the disastrous
affair with the mountaineers, and laughed and talked in his usual style
with his friend as they rode along. Suddenly they came upon a huge
animal lying down in the shade of a wide-spreading tree. As the
creature, disturbed by their approach, rose and faced them, it was seen
to be not less than seven feet in height at the shoulder, with a vast
head, and horns of a formidable character. It was a gyal, a description
of wild cattle found in the hilly parts of the plains of Hindustan. The
savage animal, shaking his head and stamping on the ground, prepared to
charge.

"I'll fire first," cried Burnett. "If he does not fall, do you try to
hit him; and should you also fail to bring him to the ground, gallop off
on one side till you can get behind a tree